Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Arun Paul Amar, Michael L. Levy, Charles Y. Liu, Michael L.J. Apuzzc

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a safe and reliable treatment adjunct for patients with medically intrac-table epilepsy. It is both a preventive and an abortive form of therapy, potentially effective against both partial and general-ized seizures in adults and children. VNS also has a number of serendipitous effects on mood, memory, and attention and has been approved for the treatment of refractory depression. Because of its pleiotropic effects, it holds promise for several other diseases as well. Its principal limitations are its unknown mechanism of action, the low likelihood of complete cure, and the inability to predict which patients will derive substantial benefit. This paper reviews the theoretical rationale, practical background, and clinical applications of VNS therapy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1142-1151
Number of pages10
JournalProceedings of the IEEE
Volume96
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2008

Keywords

  • Depression
  • epilepsy
  • neurostimulation
  • seizure
  • vagus nerve stimulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Computer Science
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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