Elsevier

Epilepsy & Behavior

Volume 2, Issue 1, February 2001, Pages 46-53
Epilepsy & Behavior

Regular Article
Effects of Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Cognition and Quality of Life in Epilepsy

https://doi.org/10.1006/ebeh.2000.0148Get rights and content

Abstract

To evaluate the cognitive and quality-of-life (QOL) impacts of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), 160 patients with uncontrolled partial seizures from 20 sites were enrolled in a double-blind study. Patients were randomly assigned to low (minimal) stimulation (n = 82) or high (now clinically used) stimulation (n = 78) conditions and given a group of cognitive and QOL tests before implantation and after 12–16 weeks of VNS treatment. Results showed no clear cognitive changes. However, fewer emotional and physical problems were reported by the High Group than the Low Group at the end of the study. The 32 patients who had at least 50% seizure relief showed slightly more improvement in QOL variables than those patients who did not demonstrate this degree of seizure reduction. Overall, a small number of favorable QOL but no cognitive changes were associated with levels of VNS stimulation that are now typically used clinically.

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      Citation Excerpt :

      From 18 studies conducted in patients with epilepsy, most of them were quasi-experimental studies: 12 pretest-posttest studies, three non-RCTs, and one within-subject experimental design. There was one RCT55 and one cohort study.52 The RCT demonstrated no statistically significant differences in the cognitive tasks between active (high stimulation) and control/inactive (low stimulation) VNS.

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    This research was supported by Cyberonics, Inc., the manufacturer of the NCP prosthetic device. The authors were paid consultants to Cyberonics during the course of this study.

    2

    To whom correspondence should be addressed Regional Epilepsy Center (Box 359745), Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104-2499. Fax: (206) 731-4409. E-mail: [email protected].

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