Vagus and trigeminal nerve stimulation

Steven C. Schachter,

Steven C. Schachter

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

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Steven C. Schachter,

Steven C. Schachter

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

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Book Editor(s):Simon Shorvon MA MB BChir MD FRCP,

Simon Shorvon MA MB BChir MD FRCP

Professor in Clinical Neurology and Consultant Neurologist

UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK

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Emilio Perucca MD PhD FRCP(Edin),

Emilio Perucca MD PhD FRCP(Edin)

Professor of Medical Pharmacology and Director, Clinical Trial Center

Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics University of Pavia, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute Pavia, Italy

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Jerome Engel Jr. MD PhD,

Jerome Engel Jr. MD PhD

Jonathan Sinay Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Director UCLA Seizure Disorder Center

Neurobiology, and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA

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First published: 02 October 2015

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118936979.ch77

Summary

This chapter summarizes the basis and clinical use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), including new technologies for stimulating the vagus nerve, and provides an overview of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS). Vagus nerve stimulation has been investigated in a number of animal models of epilepsy. In most of these studies, stimulation was applied just before or immediately after the onset of a seizure. Other studies evaluated the relationship between cumulative duration of vagus nerve stimulation and seizure prophylaxis. Successful clinical implementation of VNS requires a team approach to implant the device, teach the patient and his/her family about its use, titrate the stimulation parameters to optimum clinical response, and monitor the patient's side-effects and the device's remaining battery life.

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