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Puteikis K, Jasionis A, Jasionytė G, Mameniškienė R. Long-term effects of vagus nerve stimulation therapy on cognitive functioning in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:2245-2252. [PMID: 37981620 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07202-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the increasing use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for drug-resistant epilepsy, its impact on cognitive functioning remains insufficiently investigated. OBJECTIVE We aimed to comprehensively assess changes in cognition after long-term VNS therapy in a prospective sample of adults with epilepsy. METHODS Between December 2019 and March 2023, patients scheduled for VNS implantation were invited for neuropsychological assessment, including tests of executive functions, working and short-term memory (recall of a verbal logical story and the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF)), and social cognition. Participants were re-evaluated after a year of VNS therapy and the pre- and postoperative scores were compared by means of the Student's t or Wilcoxon's signed rank tests for paired samples. Patients available only after a longer follow-up (more than 24 months) were also re-examined and included in a secondary analysis. RESULTS The study included 28 PWE (16, 57.1% female, average age 33.7 ± 10.0 years). Twenty-two PWE followed-up at 14.5 ± 4.8 months had worse categorical verbal fluency than preoperatively (t = 2.613, p = 0.016). After including patients with long follow-up (n = 28, 21.6 ± 11.4 months), the group scored better on the delayed recall of the ROCF (17.09 ± 8.84 to 20.65 ± 8.32 points, t(22) = - 2.618, p = 0.016) and the Happé strange stories test (5.0 ± 2.6 to 6.1 ± 2.1 points, t(14) = - 3.281, p = 0.005). No significant changes were observed in other cognitive domains (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION We suggest improvements in a task of social cognition and short-term visual memory after longer use of VNS therapy. Such findings should be confirmed in larger trials after controlling for changes in ictal or interictal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arminas Jasionis
- Centre for Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Rūta Mameniškienė
- Centre for Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Wessel CR, Karakas C, Haneef Z, Mutchnick I. Vagus nerve stimulation and heart rate variability: A scoping review of a somatic oscillatory signal. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 160:95-107. [PMID: 38412747 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The goal of this review is to synthesize the literature on vagus nerve stimulator (VNS)-related changes in heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and assess the role of these changes in seizure relief. A scoping literature review was performed with the following inclusion criteria: primary articles written in English, involved implantable VNS in humans, and had HRV as a primary outcome. Twenty-nine studies were retrieved, however with considerable heterogeneity in study methods. The overall depression in HRV seen in DRE patients compared to healthy controls persisted even after VNS implant, indicating that achieving "healthy" HRV is not necessary for VNS therapeutic success. Within DRE patients, changes in frequency domain parameters six months after VNS implant returned to baseline after a year. The mechanism of how VNS reduces seizure burden does not appear to be significantly related to alterations in baseline HRV. However, the subtlety of sympathetic/parasympathetic signaling likely requires a more structured approach to experimental and analytic techniques than currently found in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin R Wessel
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, USA.
| | - Cemal Karakas
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, USA; Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville KY 40202, USA; Norton Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, Louisville KY 40241, USA
| | - Zulfi Haneef
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College, Houston TX 77030, USA; Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ian Mutchnick
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, USA; Norton Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, Louisville KY 40241, USA; University of Louisville Department of Neurosurgery, Louisville KY 40202, USA
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Wessel C, Candan FU, Panah PY, Karia S, Sah J, Mutchnick I, Karakas C. Efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation in managing drug-resistant absence epilepsy syndromes. Seizure 2024; 117:60-66. [PMID: 38330751 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2024.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Around 11% of patients with absence epilepsy develop drug-resistant absence epilepsy (DRAE), and are at increased risk for developing psychiatric and neurologic comorbidities. Current therapeutic options for DRAE are limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in treating DRAE. METHODS Our institution maintains a database of patients who received VNS between 2010 and 2022. We identified DRAE patients who were <18 years of age at seizure onset, were electro-clinically diagnosed with an absence epilepsy syndrome (childhood absence, juvenile absence, or Jeavons Syndrome) by an epileptologist, and had normal brain imaging. The primary outcome measure was post-VNS absence seizure frequency. RESULTS Twenty-six patients (M/F:14/12) were identified. Median age at seizure onset was 7 years (IQR 4-10) and patients experienced seizures for 6 years (IQR 4.3-7.6) before VNS. After VNS, the median absence seizure frequency reduced to 1.5 days (IQR 0.1-3.5) per week from 7 days (IQR 7-7), a 66% reduction seizure frequency. VNS responder rate was 80%, and seven patients achieved seizure freedom. There was no significant effect on VNS efficacy between the time from DRAE diagnosis to VNS placement (p = 0.067) nor the time from first seizure onset to VNS implant (p = 0.80). The median follow-up duration was 4.1 years (IQR 2.4-6.7), without any significant association between follow-up duration and VNS efficacy (r2=0.023) CONCLUSIONS: VNS is effective in managing DRAE. The responder rate was 80%; seizure improvement was independent of age at both seizure onset and latency to VNS after meeting DRAE criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Wessel
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, United States
| | - Feride Un Candan
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville Kentucky 40202, United States
| | - Paya Yazdan Panah
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, United States
| | - Samir Karia
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, United States; Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville Kentucky 40202, United States; Norton Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, 615 S Preston Street, 2nd floor, Louisville KY 40241, United States
| | - Jeetendra Sah
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, United States; Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville Kentucky 40202, United States; Norton Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, 615 S Preston Street, 2nd floor, Louisville KY 40241, United States
| | - Ian Mutchnick
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, United States; University of Louisville Department of Neurosurgery, Louisville KY 40202, United States; Norton Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, 615 S Preston Street, 2nd floor, Louisville KY 40241, United States
| | - Cemal Karakas
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville KY 40202, United States; Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville Kentucky 40202, United States; Norton Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, 615 S Preston Street, 2nd floor, Louisville KY 40241, United States.
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Hamza M, Carron R, Dibué M, Moiraghi A, Barrit S, Filipescu C, Landré E, Gavaret M, Domenech P, Pallud J, Zanello M. Right-sided vagus nerve stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy: A systematic review of the literature and perspectives. Seizure 2024; 117:298-304. [PMID: 38615369 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2024.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Right-sided vagus nerve stimulation (RS-VNS) is indicated when the procedure was deemed not technically feasible or too risky on the indicated left side. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to systematically review the literature on RS-VNS, assessing its effectiveness and safety. METHODS A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted: Pubmed/MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase and Web of science databases were searched from inception to August 13th,2023. Gray literature was searched in two libraries. Eligible studies included all studies reporting, at least, one single case of RS-VNS in patients for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. RESULTS Out of 2333 initial results, 415 studies were screened by abstract. Only four were included in the final analysis comprising seven patients with RS-VNS for a drug-resistant epilepsy. One patient experienced nocturnal asymptomatic bradycardia whereas the other six patients did not display any cardiac symptom. RS-VNS was discontinued in one case due to exercise-induced airway disease exacerbation. Decrease of epileptic seizure frequency after RS-VNS ranged from 25 % to 100 % in six cases. In the remaining case, VNS effectiveness was unclear. In one case, RS-VNS was more efficient than left-sided VNS (69 % vs 50 %, respectively) whereas in another case, RS-VNS was less efficient (50 % vs 95 %, respectively). CONCLUSION Literature on the present topic is limited. In six out of seven patients, RS-VNS for drug-resistant epilepsy displayed reasonable effectiveness with a low complication rate. Further research, including prospective studies, is necessary to assess safety and effectiveness of RS-VNS for drug-resistant epilepsy patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meissa Hamza
- Department of Neurosurgery, GHU Paris - Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Romain Carron
- Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, INS, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France; Department of Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Timone University Hospital, Marseille, France
| | - Maxine Dibué
- Department of Neurosurgery, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany; Medical Affairs Neuromodulation International, LivaNova PLC, London United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Moiraghi
- Department of Neurosurgery, GHU Paris - Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR1266, IPNP, Paris, France
| | - Sami Barrit
- Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cristina Filipescu
- Neurophysiology Department, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Elisabeth Landré
- Neurophysiology Department, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Martine Gavaret
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR1266, IPNP, Paris, France; Neurophysiology Department, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Domenech
- Neuromodulation Institute, GHU Paris, Psychiatrie et neurosciences, Hôpital Saint-Anne, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, France
| | - Johan Pallud
- Department of Neurosurgery, GHU Paris - Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR1266, IPNP, Paris, France
| | - Marc Zanello
- Department of Neurosurgery, GHU Paris - Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR1266, IPNP, Paris, France.
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5
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Daquin G, Bonini F. The landscape of drug resistant absence seizures in adolescents and adults: Pathophysiology, electroclinical spectrum and treatment options. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2024; 180:256-270. [PMID: 38413268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The persistence of typical absence seizures (AS) in adolescence and adulthood may reduce the quality of life of patients with genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs). The prevalence of drug resistant AS is probably underestimated in this patient population, and treatment options are relatively scarce. Similarly, atypical absence seizures in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) may be unrecognized, and often persist into adulthood despite improvement of more severe seizures. These two seemingly distant conditions, represented by typical AS in GGE and atypical AS in DEE, share at least partially overlapping pathophysiological and genetic mechanisms, which may be the target of drug and neurostimulation therapies. In addition, some patients with drug-resistant typical AS may present electroclinical features that lie in between the two extremes represented by these generalized forms of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Daquin
- Epileptology and Cerebral Rythmology, AP-HM, Timone hospital, Marseille, France
| | - F Bonini
- Epileptology and Cerebral Rythmology, AP-HM, Timone hospital, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, INS, Inst Neurosci Syst, Marseille, France.
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Maliia MD, Nica A, Baxter J, Corniola MV. Focused ultrasounds: What is their future in epileptology? A critical review. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2024; 180:348-353. [PMID: 38092574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
High intensity focused ultrasounds (HIFU) are being increasingly advocated as a useful tool in the management of focal drug-resistant epilepsy. Our aim was to review current literature on the topic and perform an inventory of open trials assessing HIFU effectiveness and safety in epilepsy management. To do so, a review was conducted and yielded one prospective clinical trials, two case reports and one safety study were retrieved, indicating that HIFU is still in its infancy when it comes to focal drug-resistant epilepsy therapy. Efforts should be made to develop this technology using multicentric prospective data with larger cohorts and prolonged follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Maliia
- "Van Gogh" Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Neurology Department, CIC 1414, University Hospital, Rennes, France; Laboratory of Signal and Image Analysis, LTSI, Inserm U1099, University Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - A Nica
- "Van Gogh" Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Neurology Department, CIC 1414, University Hospital, Rennes, France; Laboratory of Signal and Image Analysis, LTSI, Inserm U1099, University Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - J Baxter
- Laboratory of Signal and Image Analysis, LTSI, Inserm U1099, University Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - M V Corniola
- Laboratory of Signal and Image Analysis, LTSI, Inserm U1099, University Rennes 1, Rennes, France; Neurosurgery Department, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rennes, Rennes, France; Medicis lab, Inserm UMR 1099 LTSI, University of Rennes, Rennes, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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7
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Joshi CN, Karakas C, Eschbach K, Samanta D, Auguste K, Desai V, Singh R, McGoldrick P, Wolf S, Abel TJ, Novotny E, Oluigbo C, Reddy SB, Alexander A, Price A, Reeders P, Mcnamara N, Romanowski EF, Mutchnick I, Ostendorf AP, Shaikhouni A, Knox A, Aungaroon G, Olaya J, Muh CR. Pediatric neuromodulation for drug-resistant epilepsy: Survey of current practices, techniques, and outcomes across US epilepsy centers. Epilepsia Open 2024; 9:785-792. [PMID: 38421143 PMCID: PMC10984294 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulation via Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) or Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an emerging treatment strategy for pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Knowledge gaps exist in patient selection, surgical technique, and perioperative care. Here, we use an expert survey to clarify practices. Thirty-two members of the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium were surveyed using REDCap. Respondents were from 17 pediatric epilepsy centers (missing data in one): Four centers implant RNS only while 13 implant both RNS and DBS. Thirteen RNS programs commenced in or before 2020, and 10 of 12 DBS programs began thereafter. The busiest six centers implant 6-10 new RNS devices per year; all DBS programs implant <5 annually. The youngest RNS patient was 3 years old. Most centers (11/12) utilize MP2RAGE and/or FGATIR sequences for planning. Centromedian thalamic nuclei were the unanimous target for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Surgeon exposure to neuromodulation occurred mostly in clinical practice (14/17). Clinically significant hemorrhage (n = 2) or infection (n = 3) were rare. Meaningful seizure reduction (>50%) was reported by 81% (13/16) of centers. RNS and DBS are rapidly evolving treatment modalities for safe and effective treatment of pediatric DRE. There is increasing interest in multicenter collaboration to gain knowledge and facilitate dialogue. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: We surveyed 32 pediatric epilepsy centers in USA to highlight current practices of intracranial neuromodulation. Of the 17 that replied, we found that most centers are implanting thalamic targets in pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy using the RNS device. DBS device is starting to be used in pediatric epilepsy, especially after 2020. Different strategies for target identification are enumerated. This study serves as a starting point for future collaborative research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charuta N Joshi
- Children's Health, University of Texas Southwest, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Cemal Karakas
- Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology, Norton Neuroscience Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Krista Eschbach
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, Section of Neurology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Debopam Samanta
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Kurtis Auguste
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Benioff Children's Hospital, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Virendra Desai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Oklahoma Children's Hospital, University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Rani Singh
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Health/Levine Children's Hospital, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Patricia McGoldrick
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Steven Wolf
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Boston Children's Health Physicians, New York Medical Center, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Taylor J Abel
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edward Novotny
- Department of Neurology and Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Integrative Brain Research Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Chima Oluigbo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Shilpa B Reddy
- Department of Pediatrics, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Allyson Alexander
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, Section of Neurology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Angela Price
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Puck Reeders
- Department of Neuroscience, Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Nancy Mcnamara
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Erin Fedak Romanowski
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ian Mutchnick
- Norton Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Adam P Ostendorf
- Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ammar Shaikhouni
- Department Neurosurgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Andrew Knox
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gewalin Aungaroon
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Joffre Olaya
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital Orange County, Orange, California, USA
| | - Carrie R Muh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, New York Medical Center, Valhalla, New York, USA
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Mertens A, Boon P, Vonck K. Neurostimulation for childhood epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2024; 66:440-444. [PMID: 37448317 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The experience with neurostimulation for childhood epilepsy is far less extensive than for adults. Nevertheless, the implementation of these techniques could be of great value, especially considering the detrimental effects of ongoing seizures on the developing brain. In this review, we discuss the available evidence for neurostimulation for childhood epilepsy. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is the most studied neurostimulation modality in children. Based on mostly retrospective, open-label studies, we can conclude that VNS has a similar safety and efficacy profile in children compared to adults. Although there is little available evidence for deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) in children, both DBS and RNS show promise in reducing seizure frequency with few complications. The implementation of non-invasive techniques with a more appealing safety profile has gained interest. Small randomized control trials and open-label studies have investigated transcranial direct current simulation for childhood epilepsy, demonstrating promising but inconsistent findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Mertens
- Department of Neurology, 4Brain, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul Boon
- Department of Neurology, 4Brain, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Kristl Vonck
- Department of Neurology, 4Brain, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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Sharma A, Parfyonov M, Tiefenbach J, Hogue O, Nero N, Jehi L, Serletis D, Bingaman W, Gupta A, Rammo R. Predictors of therapeutic response following thalamic neuromodulation for drug-resistant pediatric epilepsy: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Epilepsia 2024; 65:542-555. [PMID: 38265348 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
We sought to perform a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis to identify predictors of treatment response following thalamic neuromodulation in pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Ovid, Embase, and Cochrane) were searched, with no language or data restriction, to identify studies reporting seizure outcomes in pediatric populations following deep brain stimulation (DBS) or responsive neurostimulation (RNS) implantation in thalamic nuclei. Studies featuring individual participant data of patients with primary or secondary generalized drug-resistant epilepsy were included. Response to therapy was defined as >50% reduction in seizure frequency from baseline. Of 417 citations, 21 articles reporting on 88 participants were eligible. Mean age at implantation was 13.07 ± 3.49 years. Fifty (57%) patients underwent DBS, and 38 (43%) RNS. Sixty (68%) patients were implanted in centromedian nucleus and 23 (26%) in anterior thalamic nucleus, and five (6%) had both targets implanted. Seventy-four (84%) patients were implanted bilaterally. The median time to last follow-up was 12 months (interquartile range = 6.75-26.25). Sixty-nine percent of patients achieved response to treatment. Age, target, modality, and laterality had no significant association with response in univariate logistic regression. Until thalamic neuromodulation gains widespread approval for use in pediatric patients, data on efficacy will continue to be limited to small retrospective cohorts and case series. The inherent bias of these studies can be overcome by using individual participant data. Thalamic neuromodulation appears to be a safe and effective treatment for epilepsy. Larger, prolonged prospective, multicenter studies are warranted to further evaluate the efficacy of DBS over RNS in this patient population where resection for curative intent is not a safe option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Sharma
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Maksim Parfyonov
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jakov Tiefenbach
- Center for Neurologic Restoration, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Olivia Hogue
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Neil Nero
- Education Institute, Floyd D. Loop Alumni Library, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lara Jehi
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Demitre Serletis
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - William Bingaman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ajay Gupta
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Richard Rammo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Center for Neurologic Restoration, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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10
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Yuruk D, Ozger C, Garzon JF, Nakonezny PA, Vande Voort JL, Croarkin PE. A retrospective, naturalistic study of deep brain stimulation and vagal nerve stimulation in young patients. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3452. [PMID: 38468454 PMCID: PMC10928335 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Invasive neuromodulation interventions such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) and vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) are important treatments for movement disorders and epilepsy, but literature focused on young patients treated with DBS and VNS is limited. This retrospective study aimed to examine naturalistic outcomes of VNS and DBS treatment of epilepsy and dystonia in children, adolescents, and young adults. METHODS We retrospectively assessed patient demographic and outcome data that were obtained from electronic health records. Two researchers used the Clinical Global Impression scale to retrospectively rate the severity of neurologic and psychiatric symptoms before and after patients underwent surgery to implant DBS electrodes or a VNS device. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine clinical effects. RESULTS Data from 73 patients were evaluated. Neurologic symptoms improved for patients treated with DBS and VNS (p < .001). Patients treated with DBS did not have a change in psychiatric symptoms, whereas psychiatric symptoms worsened for patients treated with VNS (p = .008). The frequency of postoperative complications did not differ between VNS and DBS groups. CONCLUSION Young patients may have distinct vulnerabilities for increased psychiatric symptoms during treatment with invasive neuromodulation. Child and adolescent psychiatrists should consider a more proactive approach and greater engagement with DBS and VNS teams that treat younger patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Yuruk
- Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and ScienceRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Can Ozger
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo Clinic Children's Research Center, and Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Juan F. Garzon
- Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and ScienceRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Paul A. Nakonezny
- Department Of Population And Data SciencesUT Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexasUSA
| | - Jennifer L. Vande Voort
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo Clinic Children's Research Center, and Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
| | - Paul E. Croarkin
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo Clinic Children's Research Center, and Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
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Drees C, Afra P, Verner R, Kaye L, Keith A, Jiang M, Szaflarski JP, Nichol K. Feasibility study of microburst VNS therapy in drug-resistant focal and generalized epilepsy. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:382-391. [PMID: 38499287 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) at low frequencies (≤30 Hz) has been an established treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) for over 25 years. OBJECTIVE To examine the initial safety and efficacy performance of an investigational, high-frequency (≥250 Hz) VNS paradigm herein called "Microburst VNS" (μVNS). μVNS consists of short, high-frequency bursts of electrical pulses believed to preferentially modulate certain brain regions. METHODS Thirty-three (33) participants were enrolled into an exploratory feasibility study, 21 with focal-onset seizures and 12 with generalized-onset seizures. Participants were titrated to a personalized target dose of μVNS using an investigational fMRI protocol. Participants were then followed for up to 12 months, with visits every 3 months, and monitored for side-effects at all time points. This study was registered as NCT03446664 on February 27th, 2018. RESULTS The device was well-tolerated. Reported adverse events were consistent with typical low frequency VNS outcomes and tended to diminish in severity over time, including dysphonia, cough, dyspnea, and implant site pain. After 12 months of μVNS, the mean seizure frequency reduction for all seizures was 61.3% (median reduction: 70.4%; 90% CI of median: 48.9%-83.3%). The 12-month responder rate (≥50% reduction) was 63.3% (90% CI: 46.7%-77.9%) and the super-responder rate (≥80% reduction) was 40% (90% CI: 25.0%-56.6%). Participants with focal-onset seizures appeared to benefit similarly to participants with generalized-onset seizures (mean reduction in seizures at 12 months: 62.6% focal [n = 19], versus 59.0% generalized [n = 11]). CONCLUSION Overall, μVNS appears to be safe and potentially a promising therapeutic alternative to traditional VNS. It merits further investigation in randomized controlled trials which will help determine the impact of investigational variables and which patients are most suitable for this novel therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Drees
- Mayo Clinic Arizona, Department of Neurology, Phoenix, AZ, USA; University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Pegah Afra
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Weill-Cornell Medicine, Department of Neurology, New York, NY, USA; University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ryan Verner
- LivaNova PLC (or a Subsidiary), Department of Clinical and Medical Affairs, London, UK
| | - Lesley Kaye
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Amy Keith
- LivaNova PLC (or a Subsidiary), Department of Clinical and Medical Affairs, London, UK
| | - Mei Jiang
- LivaNova PLC (or a Subsidiary), Department Statistics and Data Science, London, UK
| | - Jerzy P Szaflarski
- University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kathryn Nichol
- LivaNova PLC (or a Subsidiary), Department of Clinical and Medical Affairs, London, UK.
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12
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Sivaraju A, Quraishi I, Collins E, McGrath H, Ramos A, Turk-Browne NB, Zaveri H, Damisah E, Spencer DD, Hirsch LJ. Systematic 1 Hz direct electrical stimulation for seizure induction: A reliable method for localizing seizure onset zone and predicting seizure freedom. Brain Stimul 2024; 17:339-345. [PMID: 38490472 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To prospectively investigate the utility of seizure induction using systematic 1 Hz stimulation by exploring its concordance with the spontaneous seizure onset zone (SOZ) and relation to surgical outcome; comparison with seizures induced by non-systematic 50 Hz stimulation was attempted as well. METHODS Prospective cohort study from 2018 to 2021 with ≥ 1 y post-surgery follow up at Yale New Haven Hospital. With 1 Hz, all or most of the gray matter contacts were stimulated at 1, 5, and 10 mA for 30-60s. With 50 Hz, selected gray matter contacts outside of the medial temporal regions were stimulated at 1-5 mA for 0.5-3s. Stimulation was bipolar, biphasic with 0.3 ms pulse width. The Yale Brain Atlas was used for data visualization. Variables were analyzed using Fisher's exact, χ2, or Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS Forty-one consecutive patients with refractory epilepsy undergoing intracranial EEG for localization of SOZ were included. Fifty-six percent (23/41) of patients undergoing 1 Hz stimulation had seizures induced, 83% (19/23) habitual (clinically and electrographically). Eighty two percent (23/28) of patients undergoing 50 Hz stimulation had seizures, 65% (15/23) habitual. Stimulation of medial temporal or insular regions with 1 Hz was more likely to induce seizures compared to other regions [15/32 (47%) vs. 2/41 (5%), p < 0.001]. Sixteen patients underwent resection; 11/16 were seizure free at one year and all 11 had habitual seizures induced by 1 Hz; 5/16 were not seizure free at one year and none of those 5 had seizures with 1 Hz (11/11 vs 0/5, p < 0.0001). No patients had convulsions with 1 Hz stimulation, but four did with 50 Hz (0/41 vs. 4/28, p = 0.02). SIGNIFICANCE Induction of habitual seizures with 1 Hz stimulation can reliably identify the SOZ, correlates with excellent surgical outcome if that area is resected, and may be superior (and safer) than 50 Hz for this purpose. However, seizure induction with 1 Hz was infrequent outside of the medial temporal and insular regions in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adithya Sivaraju
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Imran Quraishi
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Evan Collins
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Hari McGrath
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Alexander Ramos
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA; MidAtlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, Dept of Neurology, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Nicholas B Turk-Browne
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Hitten Zaveri
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Eyiyemisi Damisah
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Dennis D Spencer
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Lawrence J Hirsch
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Dept. of Neurology, School of Medicine, Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
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13
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Abstract
SUMMARY The NeuroPace responsive neurostimulation system (RNS) has revolutionized the care of patients suffering from focal epilepsy since its approval in 2014. One major advantage of this device is its innate ability to gather long-term electrocorticographic (ECoG) data that the device uses in its novel closed-loop treatment paradigm. Beyond the standard stimulation treatments, which have been demonstrated to be safe and well-tolerated, the data collected by the RNS provide valuable information, such as the long-term circadian and ultradian variations that affect seizure risk, obtained under naturalistic conditions. Additionally, these data inform future surgical procedures, supplementing clinically reported seizures by patients, assessing the response to newly added anti-seizure medications, helping to forecast the risk of future seizures, and understanding the mechanisms of certain long-term outcomes in patients with postsurgical epilepsy. By leveraging these data, the delivery of high-quality clinical care for patients with epilepsy can only be enhanced. Finally, these data open significant avenues of research, including machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, which may also translate to improved outcomes in patients who struggle with recurrent seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Traner
- Department of Neurology, Division of Epilepsy, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A
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14
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Manca C, Coa R, Murru E, Carta G, Pinna G, Sanfilippo R, Polizzi L, Pistis M, Follesa P, Puligheddu M, Banni S. Identification of metabolic biomarkers of chronic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in subjects with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Epilepsia Open 2024; 9:432-438. [PMID: 38016924 PMCID: PMC10839364 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulation by means of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy, reduces seizure frequency and improves quality of life in subjects with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), yet its molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study investigates the impact of chronic VNS on lipid bioactive metabolites and fatty acids (FA) in the plasma and red blood cells of seven subjects with DRE. By measuring expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) genes-key regulators in energy and lipid metabolism-and lipid profiles before and after various stages of VNS, this study identifies potential mechanisms by which VNS may reduce seizure frequency. Blood samples collected before VNS device implantation, after acute VNS stimulus, and following gradual intensity increments up to therapeutic levels revealed that VNS increases SIRT1 and PPARα expression and erythrocyte concentrations of PPARα ligands. Additionally, we observe reduced de novo lipogenesis biomarkers in erythrocytes, indicating that VNS may influence systemic lipid and energy metabolism. Our findings suggest that VNS could enhance neuronal function by modulating energy metabolism, thus potentially reducing seizure frequency in subjects with DRE. Future research targeting SIRT1 and PPARα may provide innovative therapeutic strategies for managing DRE. Plain Language Summary: The exact mechanism of VNS is still unknown. This study investigated the effects of VNS Therapy on energetic metabolism, suggesting possible novel biomarkers for DRE subjects and neuromodulation therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Manca
- Department of Biomedical SciencesDivision of PhysiologyUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Roberta Coa
- Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult EpilepsyNeurology UnitAOU CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Elisabetta Murru
- Department of Biomedical SciencesDivision of PhysiologyUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Gianfranca Carta
- Department of Biomedical SciencesDivision of PhysiologyUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Giovanni Pinna
- SC NeurosurgeryNeuroscience and Rehabilitation Department, San Michele HospitalARNAS G. BrotzuCagliariItaly
| | | | - Lorenzo Polizzi
- Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult EpilepsyNeurology UnitAOU CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Marco Pistis
- Department of Biomedical SciencesDivision of Neuroscience and Clinical PharmacologyUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
- Neuroscience InstituteNational Research Council of Italy (CNR), Section of CagliariCagliariItaly
- Clinical Pharmacology UnitAOU CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Paolo Follesa
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesSection of Neuroscience and AnthropologyUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Monica Puligheddu
- Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult EpilepsyNeurology UnitAOU CagliariCagliariItaly
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public HealthUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
| | - Sebastiano Banni
- Department of Biomedical SciencesDivision of PhysiologyUniversity of CagliariCagliariItaly
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Anderson DN, Charlebois CM, Smith EH, Davis TS, Peters AY, Newman BJ, Arain AM, Wilcox KS, Butson CR, Rolston JD. Closed-loop stimulation in periods with less epileptiform activity drives improved epilepsy outcomes. Brain 2024; 147:521-531. [PMID: 37796038 PMCID: PMC10834245 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, electrical stimulation of the brain in response to epileptiform activity can make seizures less frequent and debilitating. This therapy, known as closed-loop responsive neurostimulation (RNS), aims to directly halt seizure activity via targeted stimulation of a burgeoning seizure. Rather than immediately stopping seizures as they start, many RNS implants produce slower, long-lasting changes in brain dynamics that better predict clinical outcomes. Here we hypothesize that stimulation during brain states with less epileptiform activity drives long-term changes that restore healthy brain networks. To test this, we quantified stimulation episodes during low- and high-risk brain states-that is, stimulation during periods with a lower or higher risk of generating epileptiform activity-in a cohort of 40 patients treated with RNS. More frequent stimulation in tonic low-risk states and out of rhythmic high-risk states predicted seizure reduction. Additionally, stimulation events were more likely to be phase-locked to prolonged episodes of abnormal activity for intermediate and poor responders when compared to super-responders, consistent with the hypothesis that improved outcomes are driven by stimulation during low-risk states. These results support the hypothesis that stimulation during low-risk periods might underlie the mechanisms of RNS, suggesting a relationship between temporal patterns of neuromodulation and plasticity that facilitates long-term seizure reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Nesterovich Anderson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW 2008, Australia
| | - Chantel M Charlebois
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Elliot H Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Tyler S Davis
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Angela Y Peters
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Blake J Newman
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Amir M Arain
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Karen S Wilcox
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Christopher R Butson
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - John D Rolston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Lähde N, Basnyat P, Raitanen J, Lehtimäki K, Rosti‐Otajärvi E, Peltola J. Longitudinal EpiTrack assessment of executive functions following vagus nerve stimulation therapy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsia Open 2024; 9:150-163. [PMID: 37897151 PMCID: PMC10839331 DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate executive functions and attention with repeated EpiTrack evaluations in a group of DR patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) receiving vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) during a follow-up duration of up to 5 years. METHODS The study involved 33 patients with DRE who were assessed with EpiTrack as a part of the clinical VNS protocol. Evaluations were scheduled prior to VNS implantation and then at 6 months, 12 months, and yearly thereafter. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted follow-up. Therefore, changes in EpiTrack total scores over time were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects (LMEs) model to compensate for the variation in follow-up duration when predicting EpiTrack total score changes over 5 years. RESULTS The median follow-up time was 29 months. During each month, the EpiTrack total score was predicted to increase by 0.07 units (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01-0.12, P = 0.02), corresponding to a change from a baseline score of 27.3 (severe impairment) to a score of 28.9 (mild impairment) at 2 years and a score of 31.5 (almost normal) at 5 years. In the group of patients with psychiatric comorbidities, the EpiTrack total score increased by 0.14 units per month (P = 0.003), which was 3.5-fold higher than the increase of patients without psychiatric comorbidities. For the patients taking 1-2 antiseizure medications (ASMs), the EpiTrack total score increased by 0.11 units per month (P = 0.005), which was almost quadruple the rate of patients taking 3-4 ASMs. SIGNIFICANCE Based on EpiTrack total scores, the LME model predicted a four-point improvement in executive functions among patients with DRE at 5 years after the initiation of VNS, representing a clinically meaningful change. DRE patients with comorbid depression seemed to experience the most cognitive benefits. In addition, better cognitive outcomes were achieved if the patient took less than three ASMs. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY Executive functions and attention may improve during vagus nerve stimulation therapy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy patients who have depression or use fewer than three antiseizure medications are likely to benefit cognitively more from the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niina Lähde
- Department of NeurologyTampere University HospitalTampereFinland
- Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| | - Pabitra Basnyat
- Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| | - Jani Raitanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Health SciencesTampere UniversityTampereFinland
- UKK Institute for Health Promotion ResearchTampereFinland
| | - Kai Lehtimäki
- Department of NeurologyTampere University HospitalTampereFinland
- Department of NeurosurgeryTampere University HospitalTampereFinland
| | - Eija Rosti‐Otajärvi
- Department of NeurologyTampere University HospitalTampereFinland
- Department of Rehabilitation and Psychosocial SupportTampere University HospitalTampereFinland
| | - Jukka Peltola
- Department of NeurologyTampere University HospitalTampereFinland
- Faculty of Medicine and Health TechnologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
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Abstract
Intracranial neuromodulation is an evolving therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is now available as a therapy for patients with DRE and focal-onset seizures in select health care systems; however, there remains a substantial need of efficacy data before DBS can be more widely adopted into routine clinical practice. This review and commentary focuses on a particular shifting paradigm: DBS as a therapy for children with generalized-onset seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory J Piper
- Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Department of Neurosurgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
| | - George M Ibrahim
- Division of Neurosurgery, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin M Tisdall
- Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Department of Neurosurgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
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18
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Roshan JHN, Chamanabad AG, Mashhadi A, Motamedi M. Cathodal HD-tDCS and attention: A study on patients with intractable left lateral frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2024; 199:107265. [PMID: 38071911 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2023.107265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Defects in the attentional network in patients with epilepsy are influenced by factors such as the location of epileptic foci. Examining the impact of cathodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) on attention components could provide insights into potential attention-related side effects of tDCS. This study aimed to investigate the effect of cathodal HD-tDCS on interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), auditory/visual (A/V) attention components, and reaction time (RT) in patients with intractable focal left lateral frontal lobe epilepsy (LFLE). METHODS To control for variations in individual epilepsy syndrome, 12 adult participants diagnosed with drug-resistant left LFLE with focal cortical IEDs on C3 underwent repeated measurements at pretest, posttest, and follow-up steps. 4 × 1 ring electrodes (cathode on C3 and four anodes on F3, P3, T3, and Cz) delivered 2 mA DC for 20 min per session for 10 consecutive days. The integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test (IVA+) assessed the A/V attention components and RT. One-way repeated-measure ANOVA was used. RESULTS The findings suggest a significant effect in reducing IEDs. The IVA+ results showed a significant improvement in auditory divided attention and visual selective and focused attention (p < 0.05). In the follow-up, these changes demonstrated lasting efficacy. A/V speed scales increased (p < 0.05), showing a significant decrease in reaction time. CONCLUSIONS Cathodal HD-tDCS significantly reduced IEDs and improved the components of auditory divided attention, visual focused attention, and visual selective attention, with a reduction in patient reaction time. A significant lasting, side-effect-free positive effect was observed for up to one month after the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Ghanaei Chamanabad
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; Cognitive Science Research Center, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Ali Mashhadi
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; Cognitive Science Research Center, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Motamedi
- Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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Alshehri KA, Abuhulayqah SH, Asiry MA, Alyamani SA. Vagus nerve stimulation in medically refractory epilepsy: Adverse effects and clinical correlates. Neurosciences (Riyadh) 2024; 29:10-17. [PMID: 38195125 PMCID: PMC10827014 DOI: 10.17712/nsj.2024.1.20230006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the frequency of adverse effects among pediatric and adult patients and the clinical variables associated with a higher probability of developing side effects. METHODS This retrospective study enrolled pediatric and adult patients who underwent Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implantation at our institution and had documented follow-up during clinic visits for at least 6 months after implantation. Data collected included demographic information, epilepsy diagnosis, and device data. RESULTS A total of 43 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who received a VNS device at our institution were enrolled. The median follow-up period was 12 months. Fourteen patients (32.55%) reported no side effects from VNS therapy. Side effects ranged from mild to severe, with significant side effects observed in 8 patients. Data on therapy efficacy were collected, and 10 patients (23.26%) reported no change in seizure frequency following device implantation. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that VNS is an important adjunct treatment option for epilepsy patients. Dysphagia and dyspnea can be significant adverse effects leading to treatment discontinuation, aspiration pneumonia, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and prolonged hospital stay. These effects are more frequent in patients with symptomatic generalized epilepsy, global developmental delay at baseline, previous ICU admissions, abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging findings, and seizures with multiple semiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled A. Alshehri
- From the Neuroscience Center (Alshehri, Abuhulayqah, Asiry, Alyamani), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, and from the Department of Medicine (Alshehri), Faculty of Medicine, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Shaima H. Abuhulayqah
- From the Neuroscience Center (Alshehri, Abuhulayqah, Asiry, Alyamani), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, and from the Department of Medicine (Alshehri), Faculty of Medicine, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A. Asiry
- From the Neuroscience Center (Alshehri, Abuhulayqah, Asiry, Alyamani), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, and from the Department of Medicine (Alshehri), Faculty of Medicine, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Suad A. Alyamani
- From the Neuroscience Center (Alshehri, Abuhulayqah, Asiry, Alyamani), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, and from the Department of Medicine (Alshehri), Faculty of Medicine, Tabuk University, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Yang AI, Isbaine F, Alwaki A, Gross RE. Multitarget deep brain stimulation for epilepsy. J Neurosurg 2024; 140:210-217. [PMID: 37486888 DOI: 10.3171/2023.5.jns23982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a rapidly growing surgical option for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who are not candidates for resective/ablative surgery. Recent randomized controlled trials have demonstrated efficacy of DBS of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT), particularly in frontal or temporal epilepsy, whereas DBS of the centromedian (CM) nucleus appears to be most suitable in well-defined generalized epilepsy syndromes. At the authors' institution, DBS candidates who did not fit the populations represented in these trials were managed with DBS of multiple distinct targets, which included ANT, CM, and less-studied nuclei-i.e., mediodorsal nucleus, pulvinar, and subthalamic nucleus. The goal of this study was to present the authors' experience with these types of cases, and to motivate future investigations that can determine the long-term efficacy of multitarget DBS. METHODS This single-center retrospective study of adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent multitarget DBS was performed to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of this approach, and to present seizure outcomes. Patients in this cohort had epilepsy with features that were difficult to treat with DBS of the ANT or CM nucleus alone, including multifocal/multilobar, diffuse-onset, and/or posterior-onset seizures; or both generalized and focal seizures. RESULTS Eight patients underwent DBS of 2-3 distinct thalamic/subthalamic nuclei. DBS was performed with 2 electrodes in each hemisphere. All leads in each patient were implanted with either frontal or parietal trajectories. There were no surgical complications. Among those with > 6 months of follow-up (n = 5; range 7-21 months), all patients were responders in terms of overall seizure frequency and/or convulsive seizure frequency (i.e., ≥ 50% reduction). Two patients had adverse stimulation effects, which resolved with further programming. CONCLUSIONS Multitarget DBS is a procedurally feasible and safe treatment strategy to maximize outcomes in patients with complex epilepsy. The authors highlight their approach to inform future studies that are sufficiently powered to assess its efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Robert E Gross
- Departments of1Neurosurgery and
- 2Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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21
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Khambhati AN. Utility of Chronic Intracranial Electroencephalography in Responsive Neurostimulation Therapy. Neurosurg Clin N Am 2024; 35:125-133. [PMID: 38000836 DOI: 10.1016/j.nec.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) therapy is an effective treatment for reducing seizures in some patients with focal epilepsy. Utilizing a chronically implanted device, RNS involves monitoring brain activity signals for user-defined patterns of seizure activity and delivering electrical stimulation in response. Devices store chronic data including counts of detected activity patterns and brief recordings of intracranial electroencephalography signals. Data platforms for reviewing stored chronic data retrospectively may be used to evaluate therapy performance and to fine-tune detection and stimulation settings. New frontiers in RNS research can leverage raw chronic data to reverse engineer neurostimulation mechanisms and improve therapy effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit N Khambhati
- Department of Neurosurgery, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building, 1651 4th Street, 671C, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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22
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Ernst LD, Raslan AM, Wabulya A, Shin HW, Cash SS, Yang JC, Sagi V, King-Stephens D, Damisah EC, Ramos A, Hussain B, Toprani S, Brandman DM, Shahlaie K, Kanth K, Arain A, Peters A, Rolston JD, Berns M, Patel SI, Uysal U. Responsive neurostimulation as a treatment for super-refractory focal status epilepticus: a systematic review and case series. J Neurosurg 2024; 140:201-209. [PMID: 37329518 DOI: 10.3171/2023.4.jns23367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) has high rates of morbidity and mortality. Few published studies have investigated neurostimulation treatment options in the setting of SRSE. This systematic literature review and series of 10 cases investigated the safety and efficacy of implanting and activating the responsive neurostimulation (RNS) system acutely during SRSE and discusses the rationale for lead placement and selection of stimulation parameters. METHODS Through a literature search (of databases and American Epilepsy Society abstracts that were last searched on March 1, 2023) and direct contact with the manufacturer of the RNS system, 10 total cases were identified that utilized RNS acutely during SE (9 SRSE cases and 1 case of refractory SE [RSE]). Nine centers obtained IRB approval for retrospective chart review and completed data collection forms. A tenth case had published data from a case report that were referenced in this study. Data from the collection forms and the published case report were compiled in Excel. RESULTS All 10 cases presented with focal SE: 9 with SRSE and 1 with RSE. Etiology varied from known lesion (focal cortical dysplasia in 7 cases and recurrent meningioma in 1) to unknown (2 cases, with 1 presenting with new-onset refractory focal SE [NORSE]). Seven of 10 cases exited SRSE after RNS placement and activation, with a time frame ranging from 1 to 27 days. Two patients died of complications due to ongoing SRSE. Another patient's SE never resolved but was subclinical. One of 10 cases had a device-related significant adverse event (trace hemorrhage), which did not require intervention. There was 1 reported recurrence of SE after discharge among the cases in which SRSE resolved up to the defined endpoint. CONCLUSIONS This case series offers preliminary evidence that RNS is a safe and potentially effective treatment option for SRSE in patients with 1-2 well-defined seizure-onset zone(s) who meet the eligibility criteria for RNS. The unique features of RNS offer multiple benefits in the SRSE setting, including real-time electrocorticography to supplement scalp EEG for monitoring SRSE progress and response to treatment, as well as numerous stimulation options. Further research is indicated to investigate the optimal stimulation settings in this unique clinical scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ahmed M Raslan
- 2Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Angela Wabulya
- 3Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hae Won Shin
- 4Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Sydney S Cash
- 5Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jimmy C Yang
- 6Department of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Vishwanath Sagi
- 7Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Kentucky
| | | | | | - Alexander Ramos
- 10Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | | | - David M Brandman
- 12Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Kiarash Shahlaie
- 12Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, California
| | | | - Amir Arain
- 13Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Angela Peters
- 13Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - John D Rolston
- 14Department of Neurological Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Meaghan Berns
- 15Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Sima I Patel
- 15Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Utku Uysal
- 16Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
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23
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Marqueyssat GS, Valton L, Civade E, Laborde C. [Evaluation of the relevance of the pharmaceutical educational interview on the knowledge and satisfaction of patients who received a vagus nerve neurostimulator implantation]. Ann Pharm Fr 2024; 82:163-173. [PMID: 37625530 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharma.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vagal neurostimulation (VNS) medical devices (MDs) are used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. Using a magnet, the patient can activate on the stimulations in order to stop a seizure or interrupt the adverse effects (AEs) of the device. The objective is to evaluate the improvement of the patients' knowledge about the VNS following a pharmaceutical educational interview (PEI) as well as their satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS The pharmaceutical educational interview regarding drugs and DMs was performed by the clinical pharmacist at the patient's bed after VNS implantation. A questionnaire about VNS devices (operation, adverse effects, recommendations) and assessing knowledge was submitted to patients before and after the PEI. Satisfaction was assessed by the Likert scale. RESULTS From March 2020 to August 2021, 18 implanted patients were included in the study. In 78% of cases (14/18), the total number of good responses after PEI increased. The mean good response was significantly increased from 16.11/25 (64%) before PEI to 22.33/25 (89%) after PEI (P-value<0.01). The maximum satisfaction score (4/4) was given in 71% of the items. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION The results support the relevance of PEI. Patients feel a need for information and consider the interview useful. An improvement in knowledge was observed, which allows us to hope for an optimization of the effectiveness of the device, in particular, a reduction in seizures and AE. This study shows the feasibility and the interest of the development of clinical pharmacy applied to medical devices in complementarity with the expertise on drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël-Sean Marqueyssat
- Pôle pharmacie, équipe de pôle neurosciences et céphalique, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
| | - Luc Valton
- Explorations neurophysiologiques, CHU de Purpan, Toulouse, France; Centre de recherche cerveau et cognition (CerCo), University of Toulouse, 31300 Toulouse, France
| | - Elodie Civade
- Pôle pharmacie, équipe de pôle neurosciences et céphalique, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Charlotte Laborde
- Pôle pharmacie, équipe de pôle neurosciences et céphalique, I2MC équipe Ceramic, UFR Santé service de Pharmacie clinique, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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Wong GM, Hofmann K, Shlobin NA, Tsuchida TN, Gaillard WD, Oluigbo CO. Stimulation of the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus in epilepsy: A systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) analysis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2023; 235:108041. [PMID: 37979562 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2023.108041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Emerging neuromodulatory treatments, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS), have shown promise in reducing drug-resistant seizures. While centromedian thalamic nucleus and anterior thalamic nucleus stimulation have been effective in certain types of seizures, limited research has explored pulvinar nucleus stimulation for epilepsy. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and individual patient data analysis. Of 78 resultant articles, 5 studies with transient stimulation and chronic stimulation of the pulvinar nucleus were included. Of the 20 patients reviewed, 65% of patients had temporal lobe seizures, while 20% had temporooccipital/occipital lobe seizures. Transient stimulation studies via stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) showed pulvinar evoked potential response rates of 80% in the mesial temporal region, 76% in the temporal neocortex, and 67% in the TP junction. Another study reported clinically less severe seizures in 62.5% of patients with pulvinar stimulation. In chronic stimulation studies, 80% of patients responded to RNS or DBS, and 2 of 4 patients experienced > 90% seizure reduction. The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus emerges as a potential target for chronic stimulation in drug-resistant epilepsy. However, knowledge regarding pulvinar connectivity and chronic stimulation remains limited. Further research should investigate specific subregions of the pulvinar for epilepsy treatment. Understanding the role of pulvinar stimulation and its cortical connectivity will advance therapeutic interventions for epilepsy patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia M Wong
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Katherine Hofmann
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Nathan A Shlobin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tammy N Tsuchida
- Department of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - William D Gaillard
- Department of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Chima O Oluigbo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
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25
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Bordes A, El Bendary Y, Goudard G, Masson V, Gourfinkel-An I, Mathon B. Benefits of vagus nerve stimulation on psychomotor functions in patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2023; 198:107260. [PMID: 38007914 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2023.107260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) experience psychomotor disorders. Our study aimed to assess the psychomotor outcomes after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in this population. METHODS We prospectively evaluated psychomotor function in 17 adult patients with severe DRE who were referred for VNS. Psychomotor functions were examined, in the preoperative period and at 18 months post-surgery, by a psychomotor therapist using a full set of the following specific tests: the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (ROCF) test, the Zazzo's cancelation task (ZCT), the Piaget-Head test and the paired images test. RESULTS At 18 months post-VNS surgery, the Piaget-head scores increased by 3 points (p = 0.008) compared to baseline. Performances were also improved for ROCF test both in copy (+2.4 points, p = 0.001) and recall (+2.0 points, p = 0.008) tasks and for the paired images test (accuracy index: +28.6 %, p = 0.03). Regarding the ZCT findings, the efficiency index increased in both single (+16 %, p = 0.005) and dual (+17.1 %, p < 0.001) tasks. QoL improved in 88.2 % of patients. CONCLUSIONS Patients with severe DRE treated with VNS experienced improved performance in terms of global psychomotor functions. Perceptual organization, visuospatial memory, laterality awareness, sustained attention, concentration, visual scanning, and inhibition were significantly improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bordes
- Sorbonne University, Department of Neurosurgery, AP-HP, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Yehia El Bendary
- Sorbonne University, Department of Neurosurgery, AP-HP, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Gwen Goudard
- Sorbonne University, Department of Neurology, Epileptology Unit, AP-HP, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Véronique Masson
- Sorbonne University, Department of Neurology, Epileptology Unit, AP-HP, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Gourfinkel-An
- Sorbonne University, Department of Neurology, Epileptology Unit, AP-HP, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Mathon
- Sorbonne University, Department of Neurosurgery, AP-HP, La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France; Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne University, UMRS 1127, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, GRC 23, Brain Machine Interface, APHP, Paris, France; Sorbonne University, GRC 33, Robotics and Surgical Innovation, APHP, Paris, France.
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26
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Shan Y, Wang H, Yang Y, Wang J, Zhao W, Huang Y, Wang H, Han B, Pan N, Jin X, Fan X, Liu Y, Wang J, Wang C, Zhang H, Chen S, Liu T, Yan T, Si T, Yin L, Li X, Cosci F, Zhang X, Zhang G, Gao K, Zhao G. Evidence of a large current of transcranial alternating current stimulation directly to deep brain regions. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5402-5410. [PMID: 37468529 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02150-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Deep brain regions such as hippocampus, insula, and amygdala are involved in neuropsychiatric disorders, including chronic insomnia and depression. Our recent reports showed that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with a current of 15 mA and a frequency of 77.5 Hz, delivered through a montage of the forehead and both mastoids was safe and effective in intervening chronic insomnia and depression over 8 weeks. However, there is no physical evidence to support whether a large alternating current of 15 mA in tACS can send electrical currents to deep brain tissue in awake humans. Here, we directly recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the hippocampus, insula and amygdala at different current strengths (1 to 15 mA) in 11 adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy implanted with stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) electrodes who received tACS at 77.5 Hz from 1 mA to 15 mA at 77.5 Hz for five minutes at each current for a total of 40 min. For the current of 15 mA at 77.5 Hz, additional 55 min were applied to add up a total of 60 min. Linear regression analysis revealed that the average LFPs for the remaining contacts on both sides of the hippocampus, insula, and amygdala of each patient were statistically associated with the given currents in each patient (p < 0.05-0.01), except for the left insula of one subject (p = 0.053). Alternating currents greater than 7 mA were required to produce significant differences in LFPs in the three brain regions compared to LFPs at 0 mA (p < 0.05). The differences remained significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05). Our study provides direct evidence that the specific tACS procedures are capable of delivering electrical currents to deep brain tissues, opening a realistic avenue for modulating or treating neuropsychiatric disorders associated with hippocampus, insula, and amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongzhi Shan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Hongxing Wang
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Yanfeng Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jiahao Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioelectromagnetism, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhao
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yuda Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Huang Wang
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Bing Han
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Na Pan
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xiukun Jin
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatics, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xiaotong Fan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yunyun Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Changming Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Huaqiang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Sichang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Tianyi Yan
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Tianmei Si
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lu Yin
- Medical Research & Biometrics Centre, Fuwai Hospital, National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 102300, China
| | - Xinmin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Albert, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Fiammetta Cosci
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, 50135, Italy.
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Guanghao Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioelectromagnetism, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Keming Gao
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Guoguang Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, 100053, China.
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Center of Epilepsy, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, China.
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Cukiert A, Cukiert CM, Burattini JA, Guimaraes RB. Combined Neuromodulation (Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Deep Brain Stimulation) in Patients With Refractory Generalized Epilepsy: An Observational Study. Neuromodulation 2023; 26:1742-1746. [PMID: 36109334 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.08.449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This article describes our findings while treating patients with refractory generalized epilepsy with combined vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and centro-median deep brain stimulation (CMDBS). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 11 consecutive patients with refractory generalized epilepsy (ten with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome) previously submitted to VNS and who subsequently underwent CMDBS were retrospectively studied. The VNS final parameters were 2 to 2.5 mA, 30 Hz, and 500 μs, cycling mode, 30 seconds "on" and 5 minutes "off" for all patients. The CMDBS final parameters were 4 to 5 V, 130 Hz, and 300 μs, bipolar, continuous stimulation in all patients. RESULTS There were eight male participants, ranging in age from eight to 49 years (mean 19 years). Follow-up time after VNS ranged from 18 to 132 months (mean 52 months) and from an additional 18 to 164 months (mean 42 months) during combined VNS-CMDBS. All patients had daily seizures. Atypical absences were noted in eight patients, tonic seizures in seven, bilateral tonic-clonic seizures in four, atonic seizures in three, and myoclonic seizures in two patients. Four patients were initially considered responders to VNS. All these patients also had an additional >50% seizure frequency reduction during combined VNS-CMDBS. Seven patients were not responders to VNS, and of those, four had an additional >50% seizure frequency reduction during combined VNS-CMDBS. Eight patients had an additional >50% reduction in seizure frequency when moved from VNS alone to VNS-CMDBS therapy. There were two nonresponders during combined VNS-CMDBS therapy, and both were nonresponders to VNS alone. Nine patients were considered responders during VNS-CMDBS combined therapy compared with baseline. DISCUSSION This study showed that combined VNS-CMDBS therapy was able to double the number of responders compared with VNS alone in a cohort of patients with refractory generalized epilepsy. We believe these data represent the first evidence that combined neuromodulation may be useful in this quite homogeneous patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Cukiert
- Department of Neurosurgery, São Paulo Epilepsy Clinic, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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28
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Caman MB, Bek S, Aksu S, Kutlu G. The effects of Vagal Nerve Stimulation on time perception in epilepsy patients. J Clin Neurosci 2023; 118:163-167. [PMID: 37948913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of switching off stimulation on time perception in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS). In accordance with the literature, a cognitive battery of tests for motor timing and perceptual timing was utilized. Computerized time perception tests; Paced Motor Timing Test, Duration Discrimination Test, Temporal Reproduction Test, and Time Estimation Test were administered to the patients while VNS was on and off. A total of 14 patients who met the inclusion criteria of 23 VNS patients followed in the Epilepsy Outpatient Clinic were included in the study. In the Temporal Reproduction Test, for time durations of 1000 ms (ms), 2000 ms, 3000 ms, 4000 ms, and 5000 ms the comparison of reported time values between VNS on and VNS off yielded respective p values; p = 0.73, p = 0.03, p = 0.176, p = 0.418, p = 0,873. The reported time is thus significantly shorter only for 2000 ms when the VNS was on. Positive effect of VNS on attention, alertness and focusing are expected to cause acceleration of the internal clock resulting in perceiving time running slower than actual. In our study, it was concluded that the internal clock runs faster when the VNS is on, and time is perceived as running slower than it actually is. This result can also be accepted as an indirect indicator of increased attention in the period when VNS is on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmut Bilal Caman
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Turkey.
| | - Semai Bek
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Turkey.
| | - Serkan Aksu
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Turkey.
| | - Gulnihal Kutlu
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Turkey.
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Möttönen T, Peltola J, Järvenpää S, Haapasalo J, Lehtimäki K. Impedance Characteristics of Stimulation Contacts in Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus and Its Relationship to Seizure Outcome in Patients With Refractory Epilepsy. Neuromodulation 2023; 26:1733-1741. [PMID: 35688700 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) is an emerging form of adjunctive therapy in focal refractory epilepsy. Unlike conventional DBS targets, the ANT is both encapsulated by white matter layers and located immediately adjacent to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space. Owing to the location of the ANT, implantation has most commonly been performed using a transventricular trajectory. Previous studies suggest different electrical conductivity between gray matter, white matter, and CSF. OBJECTIVES In this study, we asked whether therapeutic impedance values from a fully implanted DBS device could be used to deduce the actual location of the active contact to optimize the stimulation site. Secondly, we tested whether impedance values correlate with patient outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 16 patients with ANT-DBS for refractory epilepsy were evaluated in this prospective study. Therapeutic impedance values were recorded on regular outpatient clinic visits. Contact locations were analyzed using delayed contrast-enhanced postoperative computed tomography-3T magnetic resonance imaging short tau inversion recovery fusion images previously shown to demonstrate anatomical details around the ANT. RESULTS Transventricularly implanted contacts immediately below the CSF surface showed overall lower and slightly decreasing impedances over time compared with higher and more stable impedances in contacts with deeper parenchymal location. Impedance values in transventricularly implanted contacts in the ANT were significantly lower than those in transventricularly implanted contacts outside the ANT or extraventricularly implanted contacts that were typically at the posterior/inferior/lateral border of the ANT. Increasing contact distance from the CSF surface was associated with a linear increase in therapeutic impedance. We also found that therapeutic impedance values were significantly lower in contacts with favorable therapy response than in nonresponding contacts. Finally, we observed a significant correlation between the left- and right-side averaged impedance and the reduction of the total number of seizures. CONCLUSIONS Valuable information can be obtained from the noninvasive measurement of therapeutic impedances. The selection of active contacts to target stimulation to the anterior nucleus may be guided by therapeutic impedance measurements to optimize outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Möttönen
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Jukka Peltola
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Soila Järvenpää
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Joonas Haapasalo
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kai Lehtimäki
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
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Karakas C, Raichur P, Mutchnick I. Externalization of an infected vagus nerve stimulator generator without a break in anti-seizure therapy: a technical note. Childs Nerv Syst 2023; 39:3589-3591. [PMID: 37432396 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-023-06036-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a widely used treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. An infection of the VNS generator pocket occurs in 3-8% of cases. Current standard of care requires the removal of the device, antibiotic therapy, and then replacement of the device. The consequential break in VNS therapy leaves patients highly susceptible to seizures. METHODS Retrospective case report. RESULTS The externalized generator continued to provide electroceutical coverage of the patient's seizures while the pocket was sterilized with IV antibiotics as well as betadine and local antibiotics. The externalized generator was kept safe against the patient's chest with ioban and an entriely new system was implanted on post-externalization day 5. The patient is now 7 months post-operative and without any evidence of infection. CONCLUSIONS We report successful management of an infected VNS generator with externalization and short interval replacement of the entire system without any break in anti-seizure therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cemal Karakas
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
- Norton Children's Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, 210 East Gray St, Suite 1105, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Prachi Raichur
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Ian Mutchnick
- Norton Children's Neuroscience Institute and Children's Hospital, 210 East Gray St, Suite 1105, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
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31
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Frauscher B, Bartolomei F, Baud MO, Smith RJ, Worrell G, Lundstrom BN. Stimulation to probe, excite, and inhibit the epileptic brain. Epilepsia 2023; 64 Suppl 3:S49-S61. [PMID: 37194746 PMCID: PMC10654261 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Direct cortical stimulation has been applied in epilepsy for nearly a century and has experienced a renaissance, given unprecedented opportunities to probe, excite, and inhibit the human brain. Evidence suggests stimulation can increase diagnostic and therapeutic utility in patients with drug-resistant epilepsies. However, choosing appropriate stimulation parameters is not a trivial issue, and is further complicated by epilepsy being characterized by complex brain state dynamics. In this article derived from discussions at the ICTALS 2022 Conference (International Conference on Technology and Analysis for Seizures), we succinctly review the literature on cortical stimulation applied acutely and chronically to the epileptic brain for localization, monitoring, and therapeutic purposes. In particular, we discuss how stimulation is used to probe brain excitability, discuss evidence on the usefulness of stimulation to trigger and stop seizures, review therapeutic applications of stimulation, and finally discuss how stimulation parameters are impacted by brain dynamics. Although research has advanced considerably over the past decade, there are still significant hurdles to optimizing use of this technique. For example, it remains unclear to what extent short timescale diagnostic biomarkers can predict long-term outcomes and to what extent these biomarkers add information to already existing biomarkers from passive electroencephalographic recordings. Further questions include the extent to which closed loop stimulation offers advantages over open loop stimulation, what the optimal closed loop timescales may be, and whether biomarker-informed stimulation can lead to seizure freedom. The ultimate goal of bioelectronic medicine remains not just to stop seizures but rather to cure epilepsy and its comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Frauscher
- Analytical Neurophysiology Lab, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France. AP-HM, Service de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Maxime O. Baud
- Sleep-Wake-Epilepsy Center, NeuroTec and Center for Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern, University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern
| | - Rachel J. Smith
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Birmingham, Alabama, US. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Neuroengineering Program, Birmingham, Alabama, US
| | - Greg Worrell
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US
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Aiello G, Ledergerber D, Dubcek T, Stieglitz L, Baumann C, Polanìa R, Imbach L. Functional network dynamics between the anterior thalamus and the cortex in deep brain stimulation for epilepsy. Brain 2023; 146:4717-4735. [PMID: 37343140 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to its unique connectivity profile with cortical brain regions, and its suggested role in the subcortical propagation of seizures, the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) has been proposed as a key deep brain stimulation (DBS) target in drug-resistant epilepsy. However, the spatio-temporal interaction dynamics of this brain structure, and the functional mechanisms underlying ANT DBS in epilepsy remain unknown. Here, we study how the ANT interacts with the neocortex in vivo in humans and provide a detailed neurofunctional characterization of mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of ANT DBS, aiming at defining intraoperative neural biomarkers of responsiveness to therapy, assessed at 6 months post-implantation as the reduction in seizure frequency. A cohort of 15 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (n = 6 males, age = 41.6 ± 13.79 years) underwent bilateral ANT DBS implantation. Using intraoperative cortical and ANT simultaneous electrophysiological recordings, we found that the ANT is characterized by high amplitude θ (4-8 Hz) oscillations, mostly in its superior part. The strongest functional connectivity between the ANT and the scalp EEG was also found in the θ band in ipsilateral centro-frontal regions. Upon intraoperative stimulation in the ANT, we found a decrease in higher EEG frequencies (20-70 Hz) and a generalized increase in scalp-to-scalp connectivity. Crucially, we observed that responders to ANT DBS treatment were characterized by higher EEG θ oscillations, higher θ power in the ANT, and stronger ANT-to-scalp θ connectivity, highlighting the crucial role of θ oscillations in the dynamical network characterization of these structures. Our study provides a comprehensive characterization of the interaction dynamic between the ANT and the cortex, delivering crucial information to optimize and predict clinical DBS response in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Aiello
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Epilepsy Center (Klinik Lengg), 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Debora Ledergerber
- Swiss Epilepsy Center (Klinik Lengg), 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tena Dubcek
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Epilepsy Center (Klinik Lengg), 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lennart Stieglitz
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Baumann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Polanìa
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Imbach
- Swiss Epilepsy Center (Klinik Lengg), 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Levy AS, Bystrom LL, Brown EC, Fajardo M, Wang S. Responsive neurostimulation for treatment of pediatric refractory epilepsy: A pooled analysis of the literature. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2023; 234:108012. [PMID: 37839147 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2023.108012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a complex medical condition often requiring resective surgery and/or some form of neurostimulation. In recent years responsive neurostimulation (RNS) has shown promising results in adult DRE, however there is a paucity of information regarding outcomes of RNS among pediatric patients treated with DRE. In this individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA) we seek to elucidate the effects RNS has on the pediatric population. METHODS Literature regarding management of pediatric DRE via RNS was reviewed in accordance with individual patient data meta-analysis guidelines. Four databases were searched with keywords ((Responsive neurostimulation) AND (epilepsy)) through December of 2022. From 1624 retrieved full text studies, 15 were ultimately included affording a pool of 98 individual participants. RESULTS The median age at implantation was 14 years (n = 95) with 42% of patients having undergone prior resective epilepsy surgery, 18% with prior vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and 1% with prior RNS. At a median follow up time 12 months, median percent seizure reduction was 75% with 57% of patients achieving Engel Class < 2 outcome, 9.7% of which achieved seizure freedom. We report a postoperative complication rate of 8.4%, half of which were device-related infections. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-negative cases were negatively associated with magnitude of seizure reduction, and direct targeting techniques were associated with stronger treatment response when compared to other methods. CONCLUSIONS This review suggests RNS to be an effective treatment modality for pediatric patients with a postoperative complication rate comparable to that of RNS in adults. Investigation of prognostic clinical variables should be undertaken to augment patient selection. Last, multi-institutional prospective study of long-term effects of RNS on pediatric patients would stand to benefit clinicians in the management of pediatric DRE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S Levy
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
| | - Lauren L Bystrom
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Erik C Brown
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Marytery Fajardo
- Division of Neurology, Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, 3200 SW 60th Ct Ste 302, Miami, FL, 33155, USA
| | - Shelly Wang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1095 NW 14th Terrace, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Division of Neurosurgery, Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, 3200 SW 60th Ct Ste 302, Miami, FL, 33155, USA
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Chen H, Wang Y, Ji T, Jiang Y, Zhou X. Brain functional connectivity-based prediction of vagus nerve stimulation efficacy in pediatric pharmacoresistant epilepsy. CNS Neurosci Ther 2023; 29:3259-3268. [PMID: 37170486 PMCID: PMC10580342 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a common and widely used therapy for pharmacoresistant epilepsy, the reported efficacy of VNS in pediatric patients varies, so it is unclear which children will respond to VNS therapy. This study aimed to identify functional brain network features associated with VNS action to distinguish VNS responders from nonresponders using scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) data. METHODS Twenty-three children were included in this study, 16 in the discovery cohort and 7 in the test cohort. Using partial correlation value as a measure of whole-brain functional connectivity, we identified the differential edges between responders and nonresponders. Results derived from this were used as input to generate a support vector machine-learning classifier to predict VNS outcomes. RESULTS The postcentral gyrus in the left and right parietal lobe regions was identified as the most significant differential brain region between VNS responders and nonresponders (p < 0.001). The resultant classifier demonstrated a mean AUC value of 0.88, a mean sensitivity rate of 91.4%, and a mean specificity rate of 84.3% on fivefold cross-validation in the discovery cohort. In the testing cohort, our study demonstrated an AUC value of 0.91, a sensitivity rate of 86.6%, and a specificity rate of 79.3%. Furthermore, for prediction accuracy, our model can achieve 81.4% accuracy at the epoch level and 100% accuracy at the patient level. SIGNIFICANCE This study provides the first treatment response prediction model for VNS using scalp EEG data with ictal recordings and offers new insights into its mechanism of action. Our results suggest that brain functional connectivity features can help predict therapeutic response to VNS therapy. With further validation, our model could facilitate the selection of targeted pediatric patients and help avoid risky and costly procedures for patients who are unlikely to benefit from VNS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical ResearchPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yi Wang
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical ResearchPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Taoyun Ji
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Epilepsy CenterPeking University First HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Yuwu Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Epilepsy CenterPeking University First HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Xiao‐Hua Zhou
- Beijing International Center for Mathematical ResearchPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Pazhou LabGuangzhouChina
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Chan HY, Janssen LMM, Wijnen BFM, Hiligsmann M, Majoie MHJM, Evers SMAA. Economic evaluations of nonpharmacological treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy: A systematic review. Epilepsia 2023; 64:2861-2877. [PMID: 37545415 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to systematically identify and critically appraise all published full economic evaluations assessing the cost-effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study criteria was used to design search strategies for the identification and selection of relevant studies. Literature search was performed using the MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, International Health Technology Assessment, National Institute for Health Research Economic Evaluation Database, and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry databases to identify articles published between January 2000 and May 2023. Web of Science was additionally used to perform forward and backward referencing. Title, abstract, and full-text screening was performed by two independent researchers. The Consensus Health Economic Criteria (CHEC) checklist and Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 were applied for quality assessment. A total of 4470 studies were identified, of which 18 met our inclusion criteria. Twelve of the studies conducted model-based economic evaluation, and others were trial-based. Three studies showed that epilepsy surgery was cost-effective in adults, whereas this remained inconclusive for children (two positive, three negative). Three studies showed negative economic outcome for ketogenic diet in children. One of four studies showed positive results for self-management. For vagus nerve stimulation, one study showed positive results in adults and another one negative results in children. One recent study showed cost-effectiveness of responsive neurostimulation (RNS) in adults. Finally, one study showed promising but inconclusive results for deep brain stimulation (DBS). The mean scores for risk of bias assessment (based on CHEC) and for reporting quality (CHEERS 2022) were 95.8% and 80.5%, respectively. This review identified studies that assessed the cost-effectiveness of nonpharmacological treatments in both adults and children with drug-resistant epilepsy, suggesting that in adults, epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, and RNS are cost-effective, and that DBS and self-management appear to be promising. In children, the cost-effectiveness of epilepsy surgery remains inconclusive. Finally, the use of ketogenic diet was shown not to be cost-effective. However, limited long-term data were available for newer interventions (i.e., ketogenic diet, DBS, and RNS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi Yau Chan
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Luca M M Janssen
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ben F M Wijnen
- Center of Economic Evaluation & Machine Learning, Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mickaël Hiligsmann
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian H J M Majoie
- Department of Research and Development, Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Academic Center for Epileptology, Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe & Maastricht University Medical Center, Kempenhaeghe and Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Silvia M A A Evers
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Center of Economic Evaluation & Machine Learning, Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Peña-Ceballos J, Moloney PB, Valentin A, O'Donnell C, Colleran N, Liggan B, Staunton-Grufferty B, Ennis P, Grogan R, Mullins G, Costello DJ, Doherty CP, Sweeney KJ, El Naggar H, Kilbride RD, Widdess-Walsh P, O'Brien D, Delanty N. Vagus nerve stimulation in refractory idiopathic generalised epilepsy: An Irish retrospective observational study. Seizure 2023; 112:98-105. [PMID: 37778300 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2023.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Refractory idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE; also known as genetic generalised epilepsy) is a clinical challenge due to limited available therapeutic options. While vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is approved as an adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant focal epilepsy, there is limited evidence supporting its efficacy for refractory IGE. METHODS We conducted a single-centre retrospective analysis of adult IGE patients treated with VNS between January 2003 and January 2022. We analysed the efficacy, safety, tolerability, stimulation parameters and potential clinical features of VNS response in this IGE cohort. RESULTS Twenty-three IGE patients were implanted with VNS between January 2003 and January 2022. Twenty-two patients (95.65%) were female. The median baseline seizure frequency was 30 per month (interquartile range [IQR]= 140), including generalised tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS), absences, myoclonus, and eyelid myoclonia with/without absences. The median number of baseline anti-seizure medications (ASM) was three (IQR= 2). Patients had previously failed a median of six ASM (IQR= 5). At the end of the study period, VNS therapy remained active in 17 patients (73.9%). amongst patients who continued VNS, thirteen (56.5% of the overall cohort) were considered responders (≥50% seizure frequency reduction). Amongst the clinical variables analysed, only psychiatric comorbidity correlated with poorer seizure outcomes, but was non-significant after applying the Bonferroni correction. Although 16 patients reported side-effects, none resulted in the discontinuation of VNS therapy. SIGNIFICANCE Over half of the patients with refractory IGE experienced a positive response to VNS therapy. VNS represents a viable treatment option for patients with refractory IGE, particularly for females, when other therapeutic options have been exhausted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick B Moloney
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; FutureNeuro, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Antonio Valentin
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cara O'Donnell
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Niamh Colleran
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brenda Liggan
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Patricia Ennis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Roger Grogan
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gerard Mullins
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Daniel J Costello
- FutureNeuro, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Neurology, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin P Doherty
- FutureNeuro, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Neurology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Academic Unit of Neurology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Hany El Naggar
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; FutureNeuro, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ronan D Kilbride
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter Widdess-Walsh
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Donncha O'Brien
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Norman Delanty
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; FutureNeuro, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland.
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Bliss ND, Patel AD, Dixon-Salazar T, Zhang L, LoPresti MA, Carroll M, Rosenman M, Lam S. Patient family engagement and partnership: Pilot survey results in assessing behavior, communication, and quality of life in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and other drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2023; 148:109451. [PMID: 37783029 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) and other drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) can impact behavior, communication, and quality of life (QoL). In collaboration with community engagement efforts with the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Foundation (LGSF), we aimed to gain an initial snapshot of patient and family perspectives and experiences with evaluation of behavior, communication, and QoL. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect self-reported information from caregivers of children with LGS and other DRE regarding their perspectives and experiences with healthcare providers' evaluation of behavior, communication, and QoL. The survey tool was developed by the study investigators in partnership with the LGS Foundation and had diffused to caregivers online by epilepsy advocacy groups including the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance (PESA). Responses were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The survey asked for caregiver perspectives and assessed which instruments the caregivers had previously been given for measuring these domains. RESULTS Responses from 245 caregivers were included, with 132 (54%) caregivers of an individual with LGS and 113 (46%) caregivers of an individual with non-LGS related DRE. Respondents reported that 66% of their loved ones had undergone epilepsy-related surgery. Over 90% agreed that measuring behavior, communication, and QoL was important, but fewer than half felt that their healthcare providers evaluated these domains well. LGS caregivers largely shared non-LGS caregivers' perspectives; however, they reported more frequently that communication was not evaluated enough. Barriers to measuring these domains included a lack of good surveys (developmentally appropriate and specific to the type of epilepsy) or not receiving any survey instruments for these domains during clinic appointments. Caregivers play a crucial role for individuals with DRE, and their input is essential in identifying challenges and needs. Caregivers believe that measuring behavior, communication, and quality of life is important, and most of them feel that their loved ones are not adequately evaluated during their healthcare encounters. There is a need for appropriately scaled survey instruments to measure areas of importance for patients and caregivers, as well as incorporation of these outcomes in the healthcare discussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan D Bliss
- McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anup D Patel
- Division of Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; The Center for Clinical Excellence, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Lu Zhang
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Melissa A LoPresti
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maura Carroll
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marc Rosenman
- Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center (SCHORE), Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sandi Lam
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation Center (SCHORE), Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Yang AI, Raghu ALB, Isbaine F, Alwaki A, Gross RE. Sensing with deep brain stimulation device in epilepsy: Aperiodic changes in thalamic local field potential during seizures. Epilepsia 2023; 64:3025-3035. [PMID: 37607249 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective therapeutic option in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Recent DBS devices with sensing capabilities enable chronic, outpatient local field potential (LFP) recordings. Whereas beta oscillations have been demonstrated to be a useful biomarker in movement disorders, the clinical utility of DBS sensing in epilepsy remains unclear. Our aim was to determine LFP features that distinguish ictal from inter-ictal states, which may aid in tracking seizure outcomes with DBS. METHODS Electrophysiology data were obtained from DBS devices implanted in the anterior nucleus (N = 12) or centromedian nucleus (N = 2) of the thalamus. Power spectra recorded during patient/caregiver-marked seizure events were analyzed with a method that quantitatively separates the oscillatory and non-oscillatory/aperiodic components of the LFP using non-parametric statistics, without the need for pre-specification of the frequency bands of interest. Features of the LFP parameterized using this algorithm were compared with those from inter-ictal power spectra recorded in clinic. RESULTS Oscillatory activity in multiple canonical frequency bands was identified from the power spectra in 86.48% of patient-marked seizure events. Delta oscillations were present in all patients, followed by theta (N = 10) and beta (N = 9). Although there were no differences in oscillatory LFP features between the ictal and inter-ictal states, there was a steeper decline in the 1/f slope of the aperiodic component of the LFP during seizures. SIGNIFICANCE Our work highlights the potential and shortcomings of chronic LFP recordings in thalamic DBS for epilepsy. Findings suggest that no single frequency band in isolation clearly differentiates seizures, and that features of aperiodic LFP activity may be clinically-relevant biomarkers of seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew I Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ashley L B Raghu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Faical Isbaine
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Abdulrahman Alwaki
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert E Gross
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Lyu J, Wang JB, Quan Y, Zhang X, Gong SP, Qu JQ, Huang SP. Effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation for drug-resistant generalized epilepsy in children aged six and younger. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101500. [PMID: 37742915 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To explore a novel scoring system to evaluate the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in children with drug-resistant generalized epilepsy (DRGE) aged six and younger. BASIC PROCEDURES The data of twelve children with DRGE under the age of 6 years who accepted VNS and have been followed up for at least 3 years were retrospectively reviewed. The outcome was evaluated with the McHugh Classification System and a novel scoring system we proposed. MAIN FINDINGS Based on the McHugh Classification System, the total response rate was 91.67% (11/12) and the rate of Grade I was 41.67% (5/12). A novel scoring system involving seizure frequency, seizure duration and quality of life (QOL) was proposed, by which the outcome was scored from -3 to 11 and graded from IV to I. Based on the novel scoring system, the total response rate was 91.67% (11/12) and the rate of Grade I was 33.33% (4/12). The incidence of complication was 16.67% (2/12). The efficacy of VNS appeared a gradually improving trend with plateau or fluctuation over time. Shorter course of epilepsy prior to VNS may be related to better outcome. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS VNS could effectively reduce the seizure frequency and improve the QOL of children with DRGE aged six and younger. The novel scoring system was comprehensive and feasible to evaluate the efficacy of VNS. The time pattern of the long-term efficacy of VNS requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Lyu
- Neurosurgical Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China.
| | - Ju-Bo Wang
- Neurosurgical Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Yu Quan
- Neurosurgical Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Neurosurgical Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Shou-Ping Gong
- Neurosurgical Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Qu
- Neurosurgical Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Shao-Ping Huang
- Pediatric Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
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Specchio N, Nabbout R, Aronica E, Auvin S, Benvenuto A, de Palma L, Feucht M, Jansen F, Kotulska K, Sarnat H, Lagae L, Jozwiak S, Curatolo P. Updated clinical recommendations for the management of tuberous sclerosis complex associated epilepsy. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2023; 47:25-34. [PMID: 37669572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), may experience a variety of seizure types in the first year of life, most often focal seizure sand epileptic spasms. Drug resistance is seen early in many patients, and the management of TSC associated epilepsy remain a major challenge for clinicians. In 2018 clinical recommendations for the management of TSC associated epilepsy were published by a panel of European experts. In the last five years considerable progress has been made in understanding the neurobiology of epileptogenesis and three interventional randomized controlled trials have changed the therapeutic approach for the management of TSC associated epilepsy. Pre-symptomatic treatment with vigabatrin may delay seizure onset, may reduce seizure severity and reduce the risk of epileptic encephalopathy. The efficacy of mTOR inhibition with adjunctive everolimus was documented in patients with TSC associated refractory seizures and cannabidiol could be another therapeutic option. Epilepsy surgery has significantly improved seizure outcome in selected patients and should be considered early in all patients with drug resistant epilepsy. There is a need to identify patients who may have a higher risk of developing epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the recent years significant progress has been made owing to the early identification of risk factors for the development of drug-resistant epilepsy. Better understanding of the mechanism underlying epileptogenesis may improve the management for TSC-related epilepsy. Developmental neurobiology and neuropathology give opportunities for the implementation of concepts related to clinical findings, and an early genetic diagnosis and use of EEG and MRI biomarkers may improve the development of pre-symptomatic and disease-modifying strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Specchio
- Clinical and Experimental Neurology, Bambino Gesu' Children's Hospital IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Epilepsies EpiCARE, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rima Nabbout
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Université Paris Cité, Member of the European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Epilepsies EpiCARE, INSERM U1163, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, the Netherlands
| | - Stephane Auvin
- APHP, Service de Neurologie Pédiatrique, Centre Epilepsies Rares, Member of the European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Epilepsies EpiCARE, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France; Université Paris-Cité, INSERM NeuroDiderot, Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | | | - Luca de Palma
- Clinical and Experimental Neurology, Bambino Gesu' Children's Hospital IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Epilepsies EpiCARE, Rome, Italy
| | - Martha Feucht
- Epilepsy Center, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Floor Jansen
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Brain Center UMC Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Kotulska
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Harvey Sarnat
- Department of Paediatrics (Neurology), Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Neuropathology) and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (Owerko Centre), Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Lieven Lagae
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sergiusz Jozwiak
- Research Department, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, ERN EPICARE, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paolo Curatolo
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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Sklenarova B, Chladek J, Macek M, Brazdil M, Chrastina J, Jurkova T, Burilova P, Plesinger F, Zatloukalova E, Dolezalova I. Entropy in scalp EEG can be used as a preimplantation marker for VNS efficacy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18849. [PMID: 37914788 PMCID: PMC10620210 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a therapeutic option in drug-resistant epilepsy. VNS leads to ≥ 50% seizure reduction in 50 to 60% of patients, termed "responders". The remaining 40 to 50% of patients, "non-responders", exhibit seizure reduction < 50%. Our work aims to differentiate between these two patient groups in preimplantation EEG analysis by employing several Entropy methods. We identified 59 drug-resistant epilepsy patients treated with VNS. We established their response to VNS in terms of responders and non-responders. A preimplantation EEG with eyes open/closed, photic stimulation, and hyperventilation was found for each patient. The EEG was segmented into eight time intervals within four standard frequency bands. In all, 32 EEG segments were obtained. Seven Entropy methods were calculated for all segments. Subsequently, VNS responders and non-responders were compared using individual Entropy methods. VNS responders and non-responders differed significantly in all Entropy methods except Approximate Entropy. Spectral Entropy revealed the highest number of EEG segments differentiating between responders and non-responders. The most useful frequency band distinguishing responders and non-responders was the alpha frequency, and the most helpful time interval was hyperventilation and rest 4 (the end of EEG recording).
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Affiliation(s)
- B Sklenarova
- Brno Epilepsy Center, First Department of Neurology, Member of ERN-Epicar, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Chladek
- Brno Epilepsy Center, First Department of Neurology, Member of ERN-Epicar, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- Behavioral and Social Neuroscience Research Group, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Macek
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Brazdil
- Brno Epilepsy Center, First Department of Neurology, Member of ERN-Epicar, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Behavioral and Social Neuroscience Research Group, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Chrastina
- Brno Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurosurgery, St. Anne's University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - T Jurkova
- Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - P Burilova
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - F Plesinger
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - E Zatloukalova
- Brno Epilepsy Center, First Department of Neurology, Member of ERN-Epicar, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - I Dolezalova
- Brno Epilepsy Center, First Department of Neurology, Member of ERN-Epicar, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Shirani S, Valentin A, Abdi-Sargezeh B, Alarcon G, Sanei S. Localization of Epileptic Brain Responses to Single-Pulse Electrical Stimulation by Developing an Adaptive Iterative Linearly Constrained Minimum Variance Beamformer. Int J Neural Syst 2023; 33:2350050. [PMID: 37567860 DOI: 10.1142/s0129065723500508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Delayed responses (DRs) to single pulse electrical stimulation (SPES) in patients with severe refractory epilepsy, from their intracranial recordings, can help to identify regions associated with epileptogenicity. Automatic DR localization is a large step in speeding up the identification of epileptogenic focus. Here, for the first time, an adaptive iterative linearly constrained minimum variance beamformer (AI-LCMV) is developed and employed to localize the DR sources from intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded using subdural electrodes. The prime objective here is to accurately localize the regions for the corresponding DRs using an adaptive localization method that exploits the morphology of DRs as the desired sources. The traditional closed-form linearly constrained minimum variance (CF-LCMV) solution is meant for tracking the sources with dominating power. Here, by incorporating the morphology of DRs, as a constraint, to an iterative linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) solution, the array of subdural electrodes is used to localize the low-power DRs, some not even visible in any of the electrode signals. The results from the cases included in this study also indicate more distinctive locations compared to those achievable by conventional beamformers. Most importantly, the proposed AI-LCMV is able to localize the DRs invisible over other electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepehr Shirani
- Department of Computer Science, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, UK
| | - Antonio Valentin
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, UK
| | | | - Gonzalo Alarcon
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Saeid Sanei
- Department of Computer Science, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, UK
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Chua MMJ, Vissani M, Liu DD, Schaper FLWVJ, Warren AEL, Caston R, Dworetzky BA, Bubrick EJ, Sarkis RA, Cosgrove GR, Rolston JD. Initial case series of a novel sensing deep brain stimulation device in drug-resistant epilepsy and consistent identification of alpha/beta oscillatory activity: A feasibility study. Epilepsia 2023; 64:2586-2603. [PMID: 37483140 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Here, we report a retrospective, single-center experience with a novel deep brain stimulation (DBS) device capable of chronic local field potential (LFP) recording in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and explore potential electrophysiological biomarkers that may aid DBS programming and outcome tracking. METHODS Five patients with DRE underwent thalamic DBS, targeting either the bilateral anterior (n = 3) or centromedian (n = 2) nuclei. Postoperative electrode lead localizations were visualized in Lead-DBS software. Local field potentials recorded over 12-18 months were tracked, and changes in power were associated with patient events, medication changes, and stimulation. We utilized a combination of lead localization, in-clinic broadband LFP recordings, real-time LFP response to stimulation, and chronic recordings to guide DBS programming. RESULTS Four patients (80%) experienced a >50% reduction in seizure frequency, whereas one patient had no significant reduction. Peaks in the alpha and/or beta frequency range were observed in the thalamic LFPs of each patient. Stimulation suppressed these LFP peaks in a dose-dependent manner. Chronic timeline data identified changes in LFP amplitude associated with stimulation, seizure occurrences, and medication changes. We also noticed a circadian pattern of LFP amplitudes in all patients. Button-presses during seizure events via a mobile application served as a digital seizure diary and were associated with elevations in LFP power. SIGNIFICANCE We describe an initial cohort of patients with DRE utilizing a novel sensing DBS device to characterize potential LFP biomarkers of epilepsy that may be associated with seizure control after DBS in DRE. We also present a new workflow utilizing the Percept device that may optimize DBS programming using real-time and chronic LFP recording.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M J Chua
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matteo Vissani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David D Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frederic L W V J Schaper
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aaron E L Warren
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rose Caston
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Barbara A Dworetzky
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ellen J Bubrick
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rani A Sarkis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - G Rees Cosgrove
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John D Rolston
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Boileau C, Deforges S, Peret A, Scavarda D, Bartolomei F, Giles A, Partouche N, Gautron J, Viotti J, Janowitz H, Penchet G, Marchal C, Lagarde S, Trebuchon A, Villeneuve N, Rumi J, Marissal T, Khazipov R, Khalilov I, Martineau F, Maréchal M, Lepine A, Milh M, Figarella-Branger D, Dougy E, Tong S, Appay R, Baudouin S, Mercer A, Smith JB, Danos O, Porter R, Mulle C, Crépel V. GluK2 Is a Target for Gene Therapy in Drug-Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Ann Neurol 2023; 94:745-761. [PMID: 37341588 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is characterized by recurrent seizures generated in the limbic system, particularly in the hippocampus. In TLE, recurrent mossy fiber sprouting from dentate gyrus granule cells (DGCs) crea an aberrant epileptogenic network between DGCs which operates via ectopically expressed GluK2/GluK5-containing kainate receptors (KARs). TLE patients are often resistant to anti-seizure medications and suffer significant comorbidities; hence, there is an urgent need for novel therapies. Previously, we have shown that GluK2 knockout mice are protected from seizures. This study aims at providing evidence that downregulating KARs in the hippocampus using gene therapy reduces chronic epileptic discharges in TLE. METHODS We combined molecular biology and electrophysiology in rodent models of TLE and in hippocampal slices surgically resected from patients with drug-resistant TLE. RESULTS Here, we confirmed the translational potential of KAR suppression using a non-selective KAR antagonist that markedly attenuated interictal-like epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in TLE patient-derived hippocampal slices. An adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype-9 vector expressing anti-grik2 miRNA was engineered to specifically downregulate GluK2 expression. Direct delivery of AAV9-anti grik2 miRNA into the hippocampus of TLE mice led to a marked reduction in seizure activity. Transduction of TLE patient hippocampal slices reduced levels of GluK2 protein and, most importantly, significantly reduced IEDs. INTERPRETATION Our gene silencing strategy to knock down aberrant GluK2 expression demonstrates inhibition of chronic seizure in a mouse TLE model and IEDs in cultured slices derived from TLE patients. These results provide proof-of-concept for a gene therapy approach targeting GluK2 KARs for drug-resistant TLE patients. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:745-761.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Severine Deforges
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Didier Scavarda
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Marseille, France
| | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | | | - Nicolas Partouche
- Aix-Marseille Univ. INSERM, Marseille, France
- Corlieve Therapeutics SAS, uniQure NV, Paris, France
| | - Justine Gautron
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
- Corlieve Therapeutics SAS, uniQure NV, Paris, France
| | - Julio Viotti
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Cécile Marchal
- Pellegrin Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, Bordeaux, France
| | - Stanislas Lagarde
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Agnès Trebuchon
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Nathalie Villeneuve
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Rumi
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Marine Maréchal
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anne Lepine
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Mathieu Milh
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Dominique Figarella-Branger
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Etienne Dougy
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Soutsakhone Tong
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Romain Appay
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Christophe Mulle
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
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Winter Y, Sandner K, Glaser M, Ciolac D, Sauer V, Ziebart A, Karakoyun A, Chiosa V, Saryyeva A, Krauss J, Ringel F, Groppa S. Synergistic effects of vagus nerve stimulation and antiseizure medication. J Neurol 2023; 270:4978-4984. [PMID: 37368131 PMCID: PMC10511567 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11825-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective, non-pharmacological therapy for epileptic seizures. Until now, favorable combinations of different groups of antiseizure medication (ASM) and VNS have not been sufficiently addressed. The aim of this study was to identify the synergistic effects between VNS and different ASMs. METHODS We performed an observational study of patients with epilepsy who were implanted with VNS and had a stable ASM therapy during the first 2 years after the VNS implantation. Data were collected from the Mainz Epilepsy Registry. The efficacy of VNS depending on the concomitantly used ASM group/individual ASMs was assessed by quantifying the responder rate (≥ 50% seizure reduction compared to the time of VNS implantation) and seizure freedom (absence of seizures during the last 6 months of the observation period). RESULTS One hundred fifty one patients (mean age 45.2 ± 17.0 years, 78 females) were included in the study. Regardless of the used ASM, the responder rate in the whole cohort was 50.3% and the seizure freedom was 13.9%. Multiple regression analysis showed that combination of VNS with synaptic vesicle glycoprotein (SV2A) modulators (responder rate 64.0%, seizure freedom 19.8%) or slow sodium channel inhibitors (responder rate 61.8%, seizure freedom 19.7%) was associated with a statistically significant better responder rate and seizure freedom than combinations of VNS and ASM with other mechanism of action. Within these ASM groups, brivaracetam showed a more favorable effect than levetiracetam, whereas lacosamide and eslicarbazepine were comparable in their effects. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that the combination of VNS with ASMs belonging to either SV2A modulators or slow sodium channel inhibitors could be optimal to achieve a better seizure control following VNS. However, these preliminary data require further validation under controlled conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslav Winter
- Department of Neurology, Mainz Comprehensive Epilepsy and Sleep Medicine Center, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Katharina Sandner
- Department of Neurology, Mainz Comprehensive Epilepsy and Sleep Medicine Center, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin Glaser
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dumitru Ciolac
- Department of Neurology, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Rhine Main Neuroscience Network (rmn2), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Viktoria Sauer
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Ziebart
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ali Karakoyun
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vitalie Chiosa
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Medical Genetics, Department of Neurology, Nicolae Testemitąnu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Assel Saryyeva
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School Hannover, MHH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Joachim Krauss
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School Hannover, MHH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Florian Ringel
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sergiu Groppa
- Department of Neurology, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Rhine Main Neuroscience Network (rmn2), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Liu ZZ, Huang Y, Hong CG, Wang X, Duan R, Liu JY, He JL, Duan D, Xie H, Lu M. Autologous olfactory mucosa mesenchymal stem cells treatment improves the neural network in chronic refractory epilepsy. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:237. [PMID: 37674249 PMCID: PMC10483711 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03458-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Refractory epilepsy is also known as drug-resistant epilepsy with limited clinical treatment. Benefitting from its safety and easy availability, olfactory mucosa mesenchymal stem cells (OM-MSCs) are considered a preferable MSC source for clinical application. This study aims to investigate whether OM-MSCs are a promising alternative source for treating refractory epilepsy clinically and uncover the mechanism by OM-MSCs administration on an epileptic mouse model. METHODS OM-MSCs were isolated from turbinal and characterized by flow cytometry. Autologous human OM-MSCs treatment on a patient was carried out using intrathecal administration. Epileptic mouse model was established by 1 mg/kg scopolamine and 300 mg/kg pilocarpine treatment (intraperitoneal). Stereotaxic microinjection was employed to deliver the mouse OM-MSCs. Mouse electroencephalograph recording was used to investigate the seizures. Brain structure was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent staining of GFAP, IBA1, MAP2, TUBB3, OLIG2, CD4, CD25, and FOXP3 was carried out to investigate the neural cells and Treg cells. QRT-PCR and ELISA were performed to determine the cytokines (Il1b, Il6, Tnf, Il10) on mRNA and protein level. Y-maze, the object location test, and novel object recognition test were performed to measure the cognitive function. Footprint test, rotarod test, balance beam test, and grip strength test were conducted to evaluate the locomotive function. Von Frey testing was carried out to assess the mechanical allodynia. RESULTS Many beneficial effects of the OM-MSC treatment on disease status, including seizure type, frequency, severity, duration, and cognitive function, and no apparent adverse effects were observed at the 8-year follow-up case. Brain MRI indicated that autologous OM-MSC treatment alleviated brain atrophy in epilepsy patients. A study in an epileptic mouse model revealed that OM-MSC treatment recruited Treg cells to the brain, inhibited inflammation, rebuilt the neural network, and improved the cognitive, locomotive, and perceptive functions of epileptic mice. CONCLUSIONS Autologous OM-MSC treatment is efficacious for improving chronic refractory epilepsy, suggesting a future therapeutic candidate for epilepsy. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200055357).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Zhao Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Organ Injury, Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Bone Joint Degeneration and Injury, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yan Huang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defect for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurorestoration, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410219, Hunan, China
- First Clinical Department of Changsha Medical University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Chun-Gu Hong
- Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ran Duan
- Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Jian-Yang Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Jia-Lin He
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Da Duan
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 921st Hospital of PLA (Second Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Xie
- Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- Department of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Organ Injury, Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Bone Joint Degeneration and Injury, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Ming Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 921st Hospital of PLA (Second Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurorestoration, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410219, Hunan, China.
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Xu C, Qi L, Wang X, Schaper FLWVJ, Wu D, Yu T, Yan X, Jin G, Wang Q, Wang X, Huang X, Wang Y, Chen Y, Liu J, Wang Y, Horn A, Fisher RS, Ren L. Functional connectomic profile correlates with effective anterior thalamic stimulation for refractory epilepsy. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:1302-1309. [PMID: 37633491 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT-DBS) is an effective treatment for refractory epilepsy; however, seizure outcome varies among individuals. Identifying a reliable noninvasive biomarker to predict good responders would be helpful. OBJECTIVES To test whether the functional connectivity between the ANT-DBS sites and the seizure foci correlates with effective seizure control in refractory epilepsy. METHODS We performed a proof-of-concept pilot study of patients with focal refractory epilepsy receiving ANT-DBS. Using normative human connectome data derived from 1000 healthy participants, we investigated whether intrinsic functional connectivity between the seizure foci and the DBS site was associated with seizure outcome. We repeated this analysis controlling for the extent of seizure foci, distance between the seizure foci and DBS site, and using functional connectivity of the ANT instead of the DBS site to test the contribution of variance in DBS sites. RESULTS Eighteen patients with two or more seizure foci were included. Greater functional connectivity between the seizure foci and the DBS site correlated with more favorable outcome. The degree of functional connectivity accounted for significant variance in clinical outcomes (DBS site: |r| = 0.773, p < 0.001 vs ANT-atlas: |r| = 0.715, p = 0.001), which remained significant when controlling for the extent of the seizure foci (|r| = 0.773, p < 0.001) and the distance between the seizure foci and DBS site (|r| = 0.777, p < 0.001). Significant correlations were independent of variance in the DBS sites (|r| = 0.148, p = 0.57). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that functional connectomic profile is a potential reliable non-invasive biomarker to predict ANT-DBS outcomes. Accordingly, the identification of ANT responders could decrease the surgical risk for patients who may not benefit and optimize the cost-effective allocation of health care resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Xu
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Qi
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xueyuan Wang
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Frédéric L W V J Schaper
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Di Wu
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Yu
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoming Yan
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangyuan Jin
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiao Wang
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaopeng Wang
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinqi Huang
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuke Wang
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanhong Chen
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghui Liu
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuping Wang
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Andreas Horn
- Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics, Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States; Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; MGH Neurosurgery & Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR) at MGH Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Robert S Fisher
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and Neurosurgery by Courtesy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Liankun Ren
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China; Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Clinical Center for Epilepsy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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Bystrom LL, Levy AS, Brown EC, Fajardo M, Wang S. Thalamic responsive neurostimulation for the treatment of refractory epilepsy: an individual patient data meta-analysis. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2023; 32:366-375. [PMID: 37347644 DOI: 10.3171/2023.5.peds22559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In recent years, the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) has made greater use of surgery and expanded options for neurostimulation or neuromodulation. Up to this point, responsive neurostimulation (RNS) has been very promising but has mainly used only the cortex as a target. In this individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA), the authors sought to establish if a novel RNS target, the thalamus, can be used to treat DRE. METHODS The literature regarding the management of DRE by targeting the thalamus with RNS was reviewed per IPDMA guidelines. Five databases were searched with keywords [((Responsive neurostimulation) OR (RNS)) AND ((thalamus) OR (thalamic) OR (Deep-seated) OR (Diencephalon) OR (limbic))] in March 2022. RESULTS The median (interquartile range) age at implantation was 17 (13.5-27.5) years (n = 42) with an epilepsy duration of 12.1 (5.8-15.3) years. In total, 52.4% of patients had previously undergone epilepsy surgery, 28.6% had prior vagus nerve stimulation, and 2.4% had prior RNS. The median preimplant seizure frequency was 12 per week. The median seizure reduction at last follow-up was 73%. No study in this IPDMA reported complications, although 7 cases (16.3%) did require reoperation. Behavioral improvements and reduced antiepileptic drug dose or quantity were reported for 80% and 28.6% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This review indicates that thalamic RNS may be safe and effective for treating DRE. Long-term and controlled studies on thalamic RNS for DRE would further elucidate this technique's potential benefits and complications and help guide clinical judgment in the management of DRE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Bystrom
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Adam S Levy
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Erik C Brown
- 2Division of Neurosurgery, Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida; and
| | - Marytery Fajardo
- 3Division of Neurology, Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida
| | - Shelly Wang
- 1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- 2Division of Neurosurgery, Brain Institute, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida; and
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Seas A, Nischal SA, Lad SP, Grant GA. Letter to the Editor. Simultaneous vagus nerve stimulation and responsive neurostimulation in pediatric epilepsy. J Neurosurg Pediatr 2023; 32:624-625. [PMID: 37728402 DOI: 10.3171/2023.6.peds23164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Seas
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC
| | - Shiva A Nischal
- University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Sarma GRK, Sharma AR, John AT. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of auricular branch of the vagus nerve effectively and rapidly modulates the EEG patterns in patients with possible electrographic status epilepticus. Epileptic Disord 2023; 25:500-509. [PMID: 37158133 DOI: 10.1002/epd2.20068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive vagal nerve stimulation (iVNS) is a known treatment approach for patients with refractory epilepsy. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) was developed to overcome the side effects and surgical complications of iVNS. tVNS is proven beneficial in refractory epilepsy. The effectiveness of tVNS, however, has never been studied in patients with Status Epilepticus. In this study, we explored the effect of tVNS in three patients with possible electrographic status epilepticus. OBJECTIVES To compare the EEG pattern before, during and after tVNS in three patients with possible electrographic status epilepticus. METHODS Three consecutive patients with possible electrographic status epilepticus were included after due consenting process. In addition to the standard care, tVNS was applied on the left ear over the cymba concha in two sessions, 6 h apart, with each session for 45 min. Continuous EEG monitoring was performed as standard of care and the findings before, during and after tVNS were documented. RESULTS The duration of status epilepticus at the time of inclusion of Patients 1, 2, and 3 was 6 weeks, 7 days, and 5 days respectively. All were in coma and on multiple antiseizure medications. Patient 1 and 3 were on anesthetic infusions. Before stimulation, one patient had burst suppression pattern and two had generalized periodic discharges at 1 Hz frequency. We observed a significant reduction/resolution of ongoing EEG patterns in all three patients during the stimulation. The abnormal patterns re-emerged approximately 20 min post cessation of tVNS. No stimulation-related side effects were detected. There was no change in clinical status, but all three patients had severe underlying conditions. SIGNIFICANCE Transcutaneous auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) is a potential noninvasive adjuvant therapy that can modulate EEG patterns in patients with Status epilepticus. Larger studies in early SE are needed to assess its clinical benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ananya Rakesh Sharma
- Department of Physiotherapy, St. Johns Medical College and Hospitals, Bengaluru, India
| | - Anil T John
- Department of Physiotherapy, St. Johns Medical College and Hospitals, Bengaluru, India
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