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Vagus nerve stimulation for treating refractory epilepsy with myoclonic seizures in children

Guifu Geng1,2, Yao Meng1,2, Wandong Hu1

  • 1Department of Epilepsy Center, Jinan Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, ShanDong, China.

Frontiers in Neurology
|February 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) shows promise for pediatric refractory epilepsy (PRE) with myoclonic seizures. Over half of patients experienced significant seizure reduction, highlighting VNS as a potential early intervention for improved seizure control.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Epileptology
  • Neurosurgery

Background:

  • Pediatric refractory epilepsy (PRE) presents significant challenges in seizure management.
  • Myoclonic seizures are a common and often debilitating seizure type in children.
  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established neuromodulation therapy for epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of VNS in children with refractory epilepsy and myoclonic seizures.
  • To determine seizure reduction and freedom rates in this specific pediatric population.
  • To assess the tolerability of VNS therapy in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective monocentric study involving 19 pediatric patients with myoclonic seizures.
  • VNS implantation performed between January 2019 and July 2025.
  • Video electroencephalogram (v-EEG) confirmed myoclonic seizures; median 3.1 anti-seizure medications (ASMs) used pre-implantation; mean follow-up of 31 months.

Main Results:

  • 52.6% of patients achieved ≥50% seizure reduction at last follow-up.
  • 21.1% of patients achieved complete seizure freedom.
  • A notable seizure freedom rate of 31.6% was observed specifically for myoclonic seizures.

Conclusions:

  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a safe and effective treatment option for pediatric refractory epilepsy (PRE).
  • The observed seizure freedom rate for myoclonic seizures is significant.
  • VNS should be considered for early intervention to optimize outcomes in pediatric myoclonic epilepsy.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrenmyoclonic seizureoutcomepediatric epilepsyvagus nerve stimulation

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