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Published in: Acta Neurologica Belgica 3/2016

01-09-2016 | Review Article

Vagus nerve stimulation therapy in partial epilepsy: a review

Authors: Mariangela Panebianco, Chiara Zavanone, Sophie Dupont, Domenico A. Restivo, Antonino Pavone

Published in: Acta Neurologica Belgica | Issue 3/2016

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Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked epileptic seizures. The majority of people given a diagnosis of epilepsy have a good prognosis, but 20–30 % will develop drug-resistant epilepsy. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a neuromodulatory treatment that is used as an adjunctive therapy for treating people with medically refractory epilepsy. It consists of chronic intermittent electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve, delivered by a programmable pulse generator (Neuro-Cybernetic Prosthesis). In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved VNS as adjunctive treatment for medically refractory partial-onset seizures in adults and adolescents. This article reviews the literature from 1988 to nowadays. We discuss thoroughly the anatomy and physiology of vagus nerve and the potential mechanisms of actions and clinical applications involved in VNS therapy, as well as the management, safety, tolerability and effectiveness of VNS therapy. VNS for partial seizures appears to be an effective and well tolerated treatment in adult and pediatric patients. People noted improvements in feelings of well-being, alertness, memory and thinking skills, as well as mood. The adverse effect profile is substantially different from the adverse effect profile associated with antiepileptic drugs, making VNS a potential alternative for patients with difficulty tolerating antiepileptic drug adverse effects. Despite the passing years and the advent of promising neuromodulation technologies, VNS remains an efficacy treatment for people with medically refractory epilepsy. Past and ongoing investigations in other indications have provided signals of the therapeutic potential in a wide variety of conditions.
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Metadata
Title
Vagus nerve stimulation therapy in partial epilepsy: a review
Authors
Mariangela Panebianco
Chiara Zavanone
Sophie Dupont
Domenico A. Restivo
Antonino Pavone
Publication date
01-09-2016
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Acta Neurologica Belgica / Issue 3/2016
Print ISSN: 0300-9009
Electronic ISSN: 2240-2993
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-016-0616-3

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