Right Vagal Nerve Stimulation Shows Promise for Epilepsy Care

Source: Epilepsy & behavior : E&B

Summary

Researchers studied the use of right vagal nerve stimulation (R-VNS) as a treatment for epilepsy, focusing on patients who had not responded well to other therapies. They reviewed nine published studies involving 53 patients and also looked at their own experience with seven patients at Vancouver General Hospital who received R-VNS. The goal was to understand how safe and effective this treatment is compared to the more commonly used left vagal nerve stimulation (L-VNS).

The findings showed that R-VNS can help control seizures in a similar way to L-VNS, with about 74% of patients experiencing improved seizure control. While some patients had temporary side effects, such as breathing issues or hoarseness, serious heart problems were not commonly reported. In their own group of patients, the researchers did not see any significant heart complications, although there were some instances of unreliable heart rate detection from the device.

This study is important because it suggests that R-VNS may be a safe option for certain patients with epilepsy, especially those who have already tried L-VNS without success. However, the researchers noted that more extensive studies are needed to fully understand the long-term safety of R-VNS and to investigate the respiratory side effects further. This research helps to expand the options available for managing epilepsy, but caution is still needed as more data is gathered.

Original source