Clinical investigation of vagus nerve stimulation for treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy and the experience of neuromodulation

Abstract

Objective To explore the curative effect and parameter settings of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy in refractory epilepsy. Methods VNS was performed in 71 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, and McHugh classification was used to evaluate the curative effect of VNS. Programmable pulse parameters included output current, frequency, pulse width, and On/Off times. The optimum settings for each patient should balance the goals of maximizing efficacy, minimizing side effects, and preserving battery life. Results After operation, all patients were followed up for 3-56 months (median 22 months), and experienced a significantly reduced seizure frequency compared with before operation [18 (3, 92) vs 30 (5, 145) times/month; Z = 826.500, P = 0.000]. In these patients, 20 cases (28.17% ) had < 50% reduction of seizure frequency, and 51 cases (71.83% ) had ≥ 50% reduction of seizure frequency, including 27 cases (38.03%) with ≥ 80% reduction and 14 cases (19.72%) with seizure free. Seizure termination or seizure diminution was reported in 8 patients (11.27% ) after using magnet. Conclusions VNS is a safe and effective therapy in medically refractory epilepsy. Optimized output current is generally 1.00-1.75 mA, however, 0.75 mA is also an efficient current. Besides, parameter settings should be considered to reach the maximizing efficacy. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.09.008

Keywords

• Epilepsy
• Vagus nerve
• Electric stimulation therapy