Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, China.
Epilepsy Behav. 2013 Sep;28(3):343-6. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.02.001. Epub 2013 Jun 29.
We investigated the safety and efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (ta-VNS) for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy.
Fourteen pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy were treated by ta-VNS of the bilateral auricular concha using an ear vagus nerve stimulator. The baseline seizure frequency was compared with that after 8weeks, from week 9 to 16 and from week 17 to the end of week 24, according to the seizure diaries of the patients.
One patient dropped out after 8weeks of treatment due to lack of efficacy, while the remaining 13 patients completed the 24-week study without any change in medication regimen. The mean reduction in seizure frequency relative to baseline was 31.83% after week 8, 54.13% from week 9 to 16 and 54.21% from week 17 to the end of week 24. The responder rate was 28.57% after 8weeks, 53.85% from week 9 to 16 and 53.85% from week 17 to the end of week 24. No severe adverse events were reported during treatment.
Transcutaneous auricular VNS may be a complementary treatment option for reducing seizure frequency in pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy and should be further studied.
研究经皮耳迷走神经刺激（ta-VNS）治疗小儿癫痫的安全性和有效性。
采用耳迷走神经刺激仪对 14 例耐药性癫痫患儿双侧耳廓进行 ta-VNS 治疗。根据患者的癫痫日记，将基线期癫痫发作频率与治疗 8 周后、第 9 周至 16 周和第 17 周至 24 周末的频率进行比较。
1 例患者在治疗 8 周后因疗效不佳而退出，其余 13 例患者在不改变药物治疗方案的情况下完成了 24 周的研究。与基线相比，第 8 周时癫痫发作频率平均降低 31.83%，第 9 周至 16 周降低 54.13%，第 17 周至 24 周末降低 54.21%。第 8 周时应答率为 28.57%，第 9 周至 16 周和第 17 周至 24 周末分别为 53.85%。治疗过程中未发生严重不良事件。
经皮耳迷走神经刺激可能是一种减少耐药性癫痫患儿癫痫发作频率的补充治疗选择，值得进一步研究。
