Efficienc y of vag us nerve stim ulation in epilepsy (literat ure review and case report )

The experience of applying vagus nerve stimulation in treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy

The article presents a clinical case of adult patient with pharmacoresistant epilepsy lacking focal cerebral morphological changes, who was surgically implanted with a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) system. The results of 6 months-long treatment were analyzed. In addition, available publications were reviewed to evaluate effectiveness of the VNS system in different patient groups. Current clinical case was featured with significant positive dynamics revealed by regression of epileptic seizures and no recorded epileptiform activity based on electroencephalography during VNS stimulation. In the absence of morphological cerebral focal changes in adult patients, installation of the VNS system is an effective and safe method to control pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

The Visual Cortical Responses to Sinusoidal Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation

Retinal stimulation has become a widely utilized approach to restore visual function for individuals with retinal degenerative diseases. Although the rectangular electrical pulse is the primary stimulus waveform used in retinal neuromodulation, it remains unclear whether alternate waveforms may be more effective. Here, we used the optical intrinsic signal imaging system to assess the responses of cats' visual cortex to sinusoidal electrical stimulation through contact lens electrode, analyzing the response to various stimulus parameters (frequency, intensity, pulse width). A comparison between sinusoidal and rectangular stimulus waveform was also investigated. The results indicated that the optimal stimulation frequency for sinusoidal electrical stimulation was approximately 20 Hz, supporting the hypothesis that low-frequency electrostimulation induces more responsiveness in retinal neurons than high-frequency electrostimulation in case of sinusoidal stimulation. We also demonstrated that for low-frequency retinal neuromodulation, sinusoidal pulses are more effective than rectangular ones. In addition, we found that compared to current intensity, the effect of the sinusoidal pulse width on cortical responses was more prominent. These results suggested that sinusoidal electrical stimulation may provide a promising strategy for improved retinal neuromodulation in clinical settings.