To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Long-Term Adjunctive Vagal Nerve Stimulation Reduces or Eliminates Seizures in Children: Presented at AES URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/21867E.htm Doctor's Guide December 4, 2007
By Bryan DeBusk, PhD PHILADELPHIA, PA -- December 4, 2007 -- Among children and adolescents who undergo vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), 50% continue to achieve benefits 48 months after the procedure, according to a study of pharmacoresistant children. In addition, 16.7% of patients undergoing VNS are seizure free at 48 months, according to results presented here on December 1 at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES). Renata Van Woensel, MD, Medical Science Liaison, Cyberonics Europe, reported the results on behalf of lead investigator Piotr Zwolinski, MD, Memorial Child Hospital, Warsaw, Poland, and colleagues. "We have a lot of data in the literature about VNS in children, but we don't have that much long-term follow-up," explained Dr. Van Woensel. To evaluate the long-term efficacy of VNS in children and adolescents, Dr. Zwolinski and colleagues followed 57 patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy for up to 48 months (57 for 6 months, 56 for 12 months, 54 for 24 months, 35 for 36 months, and 18 for 48 months). Of this cohort, 56.1% of patients were male, and 59.6% were less than 12 years old (mean 11.4 years). The group had a history of complex partial seizures (96.5%), secondary generalised seizures (56.1%), simple partial seizures (38.6%), and myoclonic seizures (8.8%). Seizure reduction remained steady over the course of the followup with a greater than 50% reduction in 46.4% of patients at 6 months, 52.4% at 12 months, 57.1% at 24 months, 53.4% at 36 months, and 53.1% at 48 months. The percentage of seizure-free patients increased over time (1.8% at 6 months, 8.9% at 12 months, 9.3% at 24 months, 11.4% at 36 months, and 16.7% at 48 months). The researchers also evaluated the effectiveness of patient-triggered magnets in eliminating or reducing seizures in patients less than 12 years old. The VNS device is designed to allow patients to use an external magnet to trigger increased stimulation when they think a seizure is imminent -- for those patients that can identify pre-seizure symptoms. Patients place a magnet over the VNS implant to trigger additional stimulation. Results showed that magnets were associated with cessation of seizures in 16.1% of patients after 1 week of use and partial reduction of seizures in 73.2%. Long-term effects of magnet use were similar over the followup period. Dr. Van Woensel encouraged physicians to consider VNS for some paediatric patients. "If the patient is not a candidate for epilepsy surgery, then you should think about VNS therapy because the results are very good, even in children under 12 years old." [Presentation title: Long-term Results of Adjunctive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy for the Treatment of Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents Under 18 Years of Age. Abstract 1.103] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.