SynthesisEpilepsy & behavior : E&B2015
Corpus callosotomy versus vagus nerve stimulation for atonic seizures and drop attacks: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Epilepsy & behavior : E&B, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 79 citations in OpenAlex.
- Outcomes following resective and disconnective strategies in the treatment of epileptic spasms: a systematic review of the literature and individual patient data meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Long-term follow-up seizure outcomes after corpus callosotomy: A systematic review with meta-analysis.Brain and behavior · 2023Pooled it
- Atonic seizures in children: a meta-analysis comparing corpus callosotomy to vagus nerve stimulation.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2021Pooled it
- First corpus callosotomy for medically refractory epilepsy in The Gambia: an international cooperation case report and historical review.Acta epileptologica · 2026Article
- Endoscopic corpus callosotomy for drug-resistant epilepsy due to cerebral folate transporter deficiency: illustrative case.Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons · 2026Article
- The impact of vagus nerve stimulation on the most disabling seizures: A retrospective study in adults with drug-resistant epilepsy.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026Article
- Epileptic drop attacks: More than just atonic seizures.Epilepsia open · 2025Article
- Long-term outcomes of corpus callosotomy in adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy: Results from a single neurosurgical center in Mexico.Epilepsia open · 2025Article
- Vagus nerve stimulation in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: Twenty-four-month data and experience from the CORE-VNS study.Epilepsia · 2025Observational
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy in Epilepsy: An Overview of Technical and Surgical Method, Patient Selection, and Treatment Outcomes.Brain sciences · 2024Review
- Applications of magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy in disconnective epilepsy surgery.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Review
- Microsurgical anatomy of the anterior cerebral artery and the arterial supply of the cingulate gyrus.Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA · 2023Article
- Review
- Association Between Characteristics of National Association of Epilepsy Centers and Reported Utilization of Specific Surgical Techniques.Neurology · 2023Article
- Epilepsy and Cognitive Impairment in Childhood and Adolescence: A Mini-Review.Current neuropharmacology · 2023Review
- Corpus Callosotomy Is a Safe and Effective Procedure for Medically Resistant Epilepsy.Advances and technical standards in neurosurgery · 2023Article
- Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Generalized Epilepsy.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2022Review
- Efficacy and safety of corpus callosotomy versus vagus nerve stimulation as long-term adjunctive therapies in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: Experience of a tertiary care center.Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) · 2022Article
- Case report: Alexander's disease with "head drop" as the main symptom and literature review.Frontiers in neurology · 2022Article
- Corpus Callosotomy for Controlling Epileptic Spasms: A Proposal for Surgical Selection.Brain sciences · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Atonic seizures are debilitating and poorly controlled with antiepileptic medications. Two surgical options are primarily used to treat medically refractory atonic seizures: corpus callosotomy (CC) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). However, given the uncertainty regarding relative efficacy and surgical complications, the best approach for affected patients is unclear. The PubMed database was queried for all articles describing the treatment of atonic seizures and drop attacks with either corpus callosotomy or VNS. Rates of seizure freedom, >50% reduction in seizure frequency, and complications were compared across the two patient groups. Patients were significantly more likely to achieve a >50% reduction in seizure frequency with CC versus VNS (85.6% versus 57.6%; RR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.1). Adverse events were more common with VNS, though typically mild (e.g., 22% hoarseness and voice changes), compared with CC, where the most common complication was the disconnection syndrome (13.2%). Both CC and VNS are well tolerated for the treatment of refractory atonic seizures. Existing studies suggest that CC is potentially more effective than VNS in reducing seizure frequency, though a direct study comparing these techniques is required before a definitive conclusion can be reached.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.