Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Vagus nerve stimulation

S C Schachter1, C B Saper

  • 1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.

Epilepsia
|July 22, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Focus on the pedunculopontine nucleus. Consensus review from the May 2018 brainstem society meeting in Washington, DC, USA.

Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2019
Same author

Huperzine A prophylaxis against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rats is associated with increased cortical inhibition.

Epilepsy research·2015
Same author

Carbachol excites sublaterodorsal nucleus neurons projecting to the spinal cord.

The Journal of physiology·2013
Same author

In the flicker of an eye.

The Journal of physiology·2008
Same author

Inducible clocks: living in an unpredictable world.

Cold Spring Harbor symposia on quantitative biology·2008
Same author

Huperzine A regulates amyloid precursor protein processing via protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells over-expressing wild type human amyloid precursor protein 695.

Neuroscience·2007
Same journal

Factors associated with rapid pediatric acute seizure emergency treatment: Quality Improvement in Time to Treat Status Epilepticus baseline cohort.

Epilepsia·2026
Same journal

Outcome trajectories after pediatric epilepsy surgery vary by biopsychosocial phenotypes.

Epilepsia·2026
Same journal

Comparative risk of epilepsy with SGLT2 inhibitors versus incretin-based therapies in type 2 diabetes.

Epilepsia·2026
Same journal

Long-term mortality after status epilepticus: A 5-year analysis study.

Epilepsia·2026
Same journal

The Epilepsy-Cog study: Methods to establish a harmonized study of late onset epilepsy in a metacohort of six population-based cohorts in the United States.

Epilepsia·2026
Same journal

Systematic review and meta-analysis of lifestyle modification interventions and their impact on seizure reduction and quality of life.

Epilepsia·2026
See all related articles

Left vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) offers a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. This promising therapy, involving a implanted device, shows good tolerability and positive outcomes for adults and adolescents with partial-onset seizures.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Epilepsy, particularly partial-onset seizures, presents treatment challenges for patients intolerant to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) or unresponsive to pharmacotherapy.
  • Cerebral resective surgery is an option for some, but many patients are not suitable candidates.
  • Left vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) emerged as a novel therapeutic approach.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of VNS as an adjunctive treatment for medically refractory partial-onset seizures.
  • To assess the tolerability and side effect profile of VNS therapy.

Main Methods:

  • VNS involves the surgical implantation of a programmable signal generator (Neuro-cybernetic Prosthesis - NCP) in the chest cavity.
  • Stimulating electrodes are connected to the left vagus nerve to deliver electrical signals.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Controlled studies were conducted to assess outcomes in patients with epilepsy.

    • Main Results:

    • VNS was approved in 1997 in the US as an adjunctive treatment for adults and adolescents with partial-onset seizures.
    • Controlled studies demonstrated that VNS is safe and well-tolerated in patients with long-standing epilepsy.
    • Reported side effects are typically mild to moderate and often resolve with stimulation adjustment.
    • Encouraging results have also been observed in pediatric populations.

    Conclusions:

    • Left vagus nerve stimulation is a safe and well-tolerated adjunctive therapy for medically refractory partial-onset epilepsy.
    • VNS provides a viable alternative for patients who do not respond to or cannot tolerate AEDs or are not candidates for surgery.
    • The therapy shows promise for both adult and pediatric epilepsy patients.