Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39061382›Full record

ArticleBrain sciences2024

Long-Term Outcome in Adult Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy Submitted to Vagus Nerve Stimulation.

Samuele Santi, Filomena Fuggetta, Gabriella Colicchio, Manuela D'Ercole, Alessandro Izzo, Quintino Giorgio D'Alessandris, Benedetta Burattini, Renata Martinelli, Nicola Montano

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. 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 · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Samuele SantiDepartment of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Section, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Filomena FuggettaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Gabriella ColicchioDepartment of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Section, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4646-8296
Manuela D'ErcoleDepartment of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Alessandro IzzoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Quintino Giorgio D'AlessandrisDepartment of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Section, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2953-9291
Benedetta BurattiniDepartment of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Section, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Renata MartinelliDepartment of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Section, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Nicola MontanoDepartment of Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Section, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4965-1950

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Epilepsy treatment primarily involves antiseizure medications (ASMs) to eliminate seizures and improve the quality of life, but many patients develop drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), necessitating alternative interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in managing DRE. We retrospectively analyzed data from 105 adult patients treated at Agostino Gemelli Hospital from 1994 to 2022. Among the 73 patients with follow-up data, 80.8% were responders, experiencing significant reductions in seizure frequency over an average follow-up period of 9.4 years. Although 19.2% were non-responders, many of these patients still opted for generator replacements due to improvements in quality of life, such as fewer falls and shorter post-ictal periods. The overall complication rate was 12.3%, with most complications being mild and manageable. These findings suggest that VNS offers substantial long-term benefits for patients with DRE, improving seizure control and quality of life. This study underscores the importance of VNS as a viable long-term treatment option for DRE, highlighting its potential to significantly enhance patient outcomes and quality of life.

Indexed as

drug-resistant epilepsyepilepsy surgerylong-term outcomevagus nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID39061382
PMCPMC11274406

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Registered trials

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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.