Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Implantation Surgery for Abdominal Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Recording Studies in Awake Rats
Published on: January 19, 2024
Vagal nerve stimulator use during pregnancy for treatment of refractory seizure disorder
Molly V Houser1, Mark D Hennessy, Bobby C Howard
1From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee; and Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri.
Background:
In patients with medically refractory seizures, vagal nerve stimulation is becoming an increasingly common adjunctive therapy. Although its safety and efficacy have been proven in the general population, little is known about its use during pregnancy.
Case:
A 19-year-old primigravid woman presented during the first trimester for routine prenatal care. She had a past medical history significant for generalized tonic-clonic seizure disorder since childhood. Multiple medical regimens had failed, and a vagal nerve stimulator was implanted approximately 2 months before conception. The patient continued to take phenytoin, with improved seizure control. She had a term spontaneous delivery complicated by mild preeclampsia.
Conclusion:
Adjunctive treatment of medically refractory seizures with a vagal nerve stimulator is a viable option during pregnancy.
Related Concept Videos
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:

