Long-term vagus nerve stimulation in children with focal epilepsy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and hospitalization rates in children with refractory focal epilepsy treated by vagus nerve stimulation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We retrospectively analyzed 15 children with intractable focal epilepsy treated by vagus nerve stimulation (mean age of 14.6 ± 2.5 years at the time of implantation). We analyzed the treatment effectiveness at 1, 2, and 5 year follow-up visits. We counted the average number of urgent hospitalizations and number of days of urgent hospitalization per year for each patient before and after the VNS implantation.

RESULTS:

The mean seizure reduction was 42.5% at 1 year, 54.9% at 2 years, and 58.3% at 5 years. The number of responders was 7 (46.7%) at 1 year and 9 (60%) at both 2 and 5 years. The mean number of urgent hospitalizations per patient was 1.0 ± 0.6 per year preoperatively and 0.3 ± 0.5 per year post-operatively (P < 0.0001). The mean number of days of urgent hospitalization per patient was 9.3 ± 6.1 per year preoperatively and 1.3 ± 1.8 per year post-operatively ( < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Vagus nerve stimulation is an effective method of treating children with refractory focal epilepsy. It leads to a substantial decrease in the number and duration of urgent hospitalizations.

• Authors: M Ryzí, M Brázdil, Z Novák, J Chrastina, H Ošlejšková, I Rektor, R Kuba
• Journal: Acta neurologica Scandinavica (Acta Neurol Scand) Vol. 127 Issue 5 Pg. 316-22 (May 2013) ISSN: 1600-0404 [Electronic] Denmark
• PMID: 22994298 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Chemical References

• Anticonvulsants

Topics

• Adolescent
• Anticonvulsants (therapeutic use)
• Child
• Cough (etiology)
• Deglutition Disorders (etiology)
• Emergencies (epidemiology)
• Epilepsies, Partial (drug therapy, therapy)
• Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic (drug therapy, therapy)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Heart Arrest (etiology)
• Hospitalization (statistics & numerical data)
• Humans
• Incidence
• Male
• Recurrence
• Retrospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation (adverse effects)