Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Epilepsy

Overview

Journal Neurosurg Clin N Am

Specialty Neurosurgery

Date 2019 Mar 23

PMID 30898273

Citations 56

Authors

Hernan F J Gonzalez

Aaron Yengo-Kahn

Dario J Englot

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was the first neuromodulation device approved for treatment of epilepsy. In more than 20 years of study, VNS has consistently demonstrated efficacy in treating epilepsy. After 2 years, approximately 50% of patients experience at least 50% reduced seizure frequency. Adverse events with VNS treatment are rare and include surgical adverse events (including infection, vocal cord paresis, and so forth) and stimulation side effects (hoarseness, voice change, and cough). Future developments in VNS, including closed-loop and noninvasive stimulation, may reduce side effects or increase efficacy of VNS.

Citing Articles

Long-Term Efficacy and Quality-of-Life Changes After Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Adult Patients With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

Zwolinska E, Birski M, Hoppe S, Paczkowski D, Harat M J Clin Neurol. 2025; 21(2):113-122.

PMID: 40065452 PMC: 11896742. DOI: 10.3988/jcn.2024.0218.

The Role of Neuroinflammation and Network Anomalies in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

Shi J, Xie J, Li Z, He X, Wei P, Sander J Neurosci Bull. 2025; .

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Noninvasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation Protects Neurons in the Perihematomal Region and Improves the Outcomes in a Rat Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

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Semiautomatic volumetry of the temporal lobes of the brain and correlation with electroencephalography results in dogs with assumed idiopathic epilepsy.

Drobot P, Banasik A, Owsinska-Schmidt K, Wrzosek M, Podgorski P J Vet Intern Med. 2024; 39(1):e17237.

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Research hotspots and trends of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation: a bibliometric analysis from 2004 to 2023.

Chen M, Yang C, Chen Y, Nie K, Wang T, Qu Y Front Neurol. 2024; 15:1429506.

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