TY - JOUR
T1 - Quality of life after vagus nerve stimulation for intractable epilepsy
T2 - Is seizure control the only contributing factor?
AU - McLachlan, Richard S.
AU - Sadler, Mark
AU - Pillay, Neelan
AU - Guberman, Alan
AU - Jones, Michael
AU - Wiebe, Samuel
AU - Schneiderman, Jack
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - We assessed the impact of vagus nerve stimulation on a cohort of patients with intractable epilepsy. A 1-year prospective trial of vagus nerve stimulation for intractable epilepsy was done in 26 patients. Seizure frequency, anti-epileptic drugs, and quality of life were assessed using QOLIE-89, ELDQOL, and a Likert scale of impact of treatment. Seizures were reduced by more than 50% in 19% of the patients, by less than 50% in 46%, and were unchanged in 35% of them. Antiepileptic drugs were reduced in 43% of the patients. There was a significant improvement in the mean overall QOLIE-89 score and other measures of quality of life, but these did not correlate with changes in seizure frequency. Subjective improvement occurred in 84% of the patients. The quality of life improves in some patients following vagus nerve stimulation for intractable epilepsy. The favorable effects of this treatment may be attributable to additional factors besides seizure control which in this study was modest.
AB - We assessed the impact of vagus nerve stimulation on a cohort of patients with intractable epilepsy. A 1-year prospective trial of vagus nerve stimulation for intractable epilepsy was done in 26 patients. Seizure frequency, anti-epileptic drugs, and quality of life were assessed using QOLIE-89, ELDQOL, and a Likert scale of impact of treatment. Seizures were reduced by more than 50% in 19% of the patients, by less than 50% in 46%, and were unchanged in 35% of them. Antiepileptic drugs were reduced in 43% of the patients. There was a significant improvement in the mean overall QOLIE-89 score and other measures of quality of life, but these did not correlate with changes in seizure frequency. Subjective improvement occurred in 84% of the patients. The quality of life improves in some patients following vagus nerve stimulation for intractable epilepsy. The favorable effects of this treatment may be attributable to additional factors besides seizure control which in this study was modest.
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U2 - 10.1159/000070853
DO - 10.1159/000070853
M3 - Article
C2 - 12824707
AN - SCOPUS:0037631878
SN - 0014-3022
VL - 50
SP - 16
EP - 19
JO - European Neurology
JF - European Neurology
IS - 1
ER -