Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2007 Jun;22(3):442-5.
doi: 10.3346/jkms.2007.22.3.442.

Vagus nerve stimulation in intractable childhood epilepsy: a Korean multicenter experience

Su Jeong You  1 , Hoon-Chul Kang, Heung Dong Kim, Tae-Sung Ko, Deok-Soo Kim, Yong Soon Hwang, Dong Suk Kim, Jung-Kyo Lee, Sang Keun Park
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Vagus nerve stimulation in intractable childhood epilepsy: a Korean multicenter experience

Su Jeong You et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2007 Jun.

Abstract

We evaluated the long-term outcome of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in 28 children with refractory epilepsy. Of these 28 children, 15 (53.6%) showed a >50% reduction in seizure frequency and 9 (32.1%) had a >75% reduction. When we compared seizure reduction rates according to seizure types (generalized vs. partial) and etiologies (symptomatic vs. cryptogenic), we found no significant differences. In addition, there was no correlation between the length of the stimulation period and treatment effect. The seizure reduction rate, however, tended to be inversely related to the seizure duration before VNS implantation and age at the time of VNS therapy. VNS also improved quality of life in this group of patients, including improved memory in 9 (32.1%), improved mood in 12 (42.9%), improved behavior in 11 (39.3%), improved alertness in 12 (42.9%), improved achievement in 6 (21.4%), and improved verbal skills in 8 (28.6%). Adverse events included hoarseness in 7 patients, dyspnea at sleep in 2 patients, and wound infection in 1 patient, but all were transient and successfully managed by careful follow-up and adjustment of parameters. These results indicate that VNS is a safe and effective alternative therapy for pediatric refractory epilepsy, without significant adverse events.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Recommended protocol of VNS parameter settings.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in seizure reduction after 3, 6, and 12 months and at last follow-up.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Quality of life improvements.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Helmers SL, Wheless JW, Frost M, Gates J, Levisohn P, Tardo C, Conry JA, Yalnizoglu D, Madsen JR. Vagus nerve stimulation therapy in pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy: retrospective study. J Child Neurol. 2001;16:843–848. - PubMed
    1. Murphy JV, Torkelson R, Dowler I, Simon S, Hudson S. Vagal nerve stimulation in refractory epilepsy: the first 100 patients receiving vagal nerve stimulation at a pediatric epilepsy center. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:560–564. - PubMed
    1. Lim K, Kang HC, Kim HD. Validation of a Korean version of the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (K-QOLCE) J Korean Epilepsy Soc. 2002;6:32–44.
    1. Kang HC, Kim HD, Hwang YS, Park SK. Therapeutic outcomes of vagus nerve stimulation in intractable childhood epilepsy. J Korean Epilepsy Soc. 2003;7:118–124.
    1. Labar D. Vagus nerve stimulation for 1 year in 269 patients on unchanged antiepileptic drugs. Seizure. 2004;13:392–398. - PubMed

Publication types