In 1997, the US FDA approved vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as adjunctive therapy for reducing the frequency of seizures in patients > 12 years with the partial onset of seizures refractory to antiepileptic medications. This guideline is based on the review of multiple studies that were published on VNS associated with epilepsy. The article discusses the guidelines based on the assessment of the safety and efficacy reports so far published on the VNS for epilepsy as observed in this guideline.
Based on the available literature, review articles and meta-analysis the guidelines have proposed following recommendations which should be considered while considering VNS as an adjuvant therapy for partial or generalized epilepsy. Based on the data, VNS is possibly effective in achieving 50% reduction in the seizure frequency in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Depression is a common…
