ArticleEpileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape2026
Efficacy of vagus nerve stimulator during transition to adulthood in patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy.
Article in Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as an adjunctive treatment in pediatric patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy during the transition to adolescence.
methodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of 30 children (ages 2-18 years) with medication-resistant epilepsy who underwent VNS implantation between January 2019 and January 2023 at a tertiary epilepsy center. Clinical data included demographics, epilepsy etiology and syndrome, age at implantation, seizure frequency and severity (McHugh classification), number of antiseizure medications (ASM), magnet use, and EEG findings. Outcomes were assessed at the last available follow-up, with a minimum duration of 12 months post-implantation. Statistical analyses comprised chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests, Spearman rank correlation, and logistic regression; significance was set at p < 0.05.
resultsAt the last follow-up, 20 of 30 patients (66.7%) achieved ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency, and 73% of patients experienced a significant decrease in seizure severity. Status epilepticus (SE) incidence fell from 67% pre-VNS to 17% post-VNS (p = 0.024). The number of ASMs decreased in 57% of patients. Successful magnet activation strongly predicted responder status (OR 10.8, 95% CI 1.2-95.4; p = 0.024). Among females, 12 of 16 (75%) experienced a transient seizure worsening around menarche. Earlier VNS implantation correlated with better seizure reduction (ρ = -0.43; p = 0.015). EEG improvement-defined as reduced interictal epileptiform activity or background normalization-was observed in 23% of patients, predominantly in males and pre-menarche females. SIGNIFICANCE: VNS is an effective adjunctive therapy in pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy, yielding substantial reductions in seizure frequency and severity, lowering status epilepticus risk, and simplifying medication regimens. Pubertal status and magnet responsiveness modulate outcomes. Early VNS intervention and proactive management during adolescence may optimize therapeutic benefit.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.