Potential mechanisms and clinical applications of mild hypothermia and electroconvulsive therapy on refractory status...

Status epilepticus (SE) is an acute and severe neurological disorder. A small number of SE cases cannot be terminated by a sufficient therapeutic dose and duration of two to three common anticonvulsant therapies. The continuing seizures often lead to poor prognosis and a higher mortality rate. Novel non-drug treatment options to terminate SE are greatly needed. Induced hypothermia and electroconvulsive therapies are used to treat SE. There are many case studies and multiple experimental investigations of these methods in the literature. This article reviews the historical evolution, mechanisms, clinical applications and adverse reactions of SE, some of which have shown that both treatments are beneficial and relatively safe. The purpose of this paper is to provide alternative treatment methods for SE.