Vagal nerve stimulation effects on generalized-partial seizures and medication in adult drug-resistant epilepsy patients
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info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessDate
2016-02-08Author
Özdoğan, SelçukNurhat, Raziye Handan
Düzkalır, Ali Haluk
Yüce, Deniz
Sabuncuoğlu, Hakan
Gökçil, Zeki
Erdoğan, Ersin
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Show full item recordAbstract
AIm: The aim of this study was to find out if vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) affect the generalized-partial seizure count and medical
treatment in adult drug resistant epilepsy patients.
Mater Ial and Methods: Twenty adult patients who were diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy were investigated retrospectively
for vagal nerve stimulator implantation between 2001 and 2010 at the Neurosurgery Departments of Ufuk University and Gulhane
Military Medical Academy. The effects of vagal nerve stimulation on generalized-partial seizures and medical treatment was scored
and if a significant difference was found, a comparison was made by Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and Pairwise. For all the group
analyses, the statistical significant rank was accepted as a p value <0.05. Bonferroni correction was made when it was needed
during pairwise comparisons.
Results : VNS significantly decreased the scores of generalized-partial seizures. There was no decrease in the doses of antiepileptic
drugs and the medical treatment was resumed as before the implantation. The results were correlated with the relevant
literature.
ConclusIon: VNS is an alternative treatment option for drug resistant epilepsy for patients who are not ideal candidates for
surgery or are not healed after epilepsy surgery.