The Role of Non-Drug Treatment Methods in the Management of Epilepsy

Abstract

This review is dedicated to the issue of non-pharmacological treatment of epilepsy in the adult population in Russia and other countries. A literature review was conducted using international databases for the period between 2010 and 2017. A total of 64 full-text editions were included in this review, which allowed us to reveal the basic non-pharmacological epilepsy treatment options. However, not all of these options have a sufficient evidence base, and some of them are not always safe. Particularly, methods with a low level of evidence include acupuncture and aromatherapy. Further studies are needed to explore the methods aimed at eliminating the dominant epileptic system through the development of a new, more powerful dominant system. One of the methods that can influence the pathogenesis of epilepsy is physical activity for patients with epilepsy, since epileptiform activity is reported to disappear from the EEG during exercises. The positive results of the application of music therapy are also described in the modern literature. Specifically, according to the results of some studies, the positive effect of reducing the frequency of seizures was achieved in epileptic patients who listened to music during sleep over a year. However, these studies are not numerous, so they cannot constitute a high level of evidence. Therefore, care should be exercised in applying these methods in epileptic patients.

Keywords

• epilepsy
• non-pharmacological treatment
• adults
• music therapy