Vagal nerve stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsies in different age, aetiology and duration
Colicchio G, Policicchio D, Barbati G, Cesaroni E, Fuggetta F, Meglio M, Papacci F, Rychlicki F, Scerrati M, Zamponi N.
Child's Nervous System volume 26, pages811–819 (2010)
http://ow.ly/EiFw50JhxHe
Continuing on the theme of vagus nerve stimulation (#VNS) and early implantation, this work by Colicchio et al. 2010 aimed to identify the clinical characteristics associated with VNS response (defined as a >50% #seizure frequency reduction) in patients with drug resistant epilepsy (#DRE; N=135). Seizure-related outcomes were compared between groups based on age, epilepsy types, etiology, and duration of epilepsy.
The most favorable response was observed in “very young” patients (age: 0-6 years), where the average seizure frequency dropped from 403 seizures/month to 123 seizures/month already after three months of treatment, corresponding to a 69% seizure frequency reduction. Moreover, patients with severe #multifocal epilepsy showed a better seizure reduction rate compared to the patients with partial seizures and the patients with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (P = 0.03).
The article highlights that VNS implantation at a very young age is strictly linked to a better clinical outcome. As a young age is often correlated with a shorter epilepsy duration, it would be valuable to evaluate the association of different epilepsy durations in older patients.
