Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disease with a high burden of illness. Invasive vagus nerve stimulation (iVNS) is a well-established treatment option in patients with epilepsy (PWE). More recently, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) was introduced an alternative option which is particularly interesting because it does not require surgery and is instantaneously removable. Here, we thoroughly reviewed clinical data on efficacy and safety of tVNS in epilepsies.Five prospective trials in 118 patients with drug-resistant epilepsies and 3 randomized controlled trials in 280 patients with drug-resistant epilepsies were carried out.
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research