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Journal of Child Neurology
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*Epilepsy
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Quality of Life and Seizure Outcome After Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Children With Intractable Epilepsy

Elisabeth M. S. Sherman, PhD

Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, elisabeth.sherman{at}calgaryhealthregion.ca

Mary B. Connolly, MB, FRCPC

Division of Neurology, British Columbia's Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Daniel J. Slick, PhD

Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Kim L. Eyrl, MSc

Department of Psychology, British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada

Paul Steinbok, MBBS, FRCPSC

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Pediatric Surgery, British Columbia's Children's Hospital and Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Kevin Farrell, MB, FRCPC

Division of Neurology, British Columbia's Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

This study examined the effect of vagus nerve stimulation on quality of life in children with epilepsy using a validated quality-of-life scale and an empirical technique that accounts for measurement error in assessing individual change (the reliable change index). Participants were 34 children with severe intractable epilepsy who underwent vagus nerve stimulation and 19 children with intractable epilepsy who received medical management. Parent-completed epilepsy-specific and global ratings at baseline and after 1 year indicated that most children had no changes in quality of life following vagus nerve stimulation (52%-77%), similar to the comparison group. There was a trend for decreases to be less common in the vagus nerve stimulation group (14% vs 37%, P < .07), but there was no relation between improved quality of life and seizure control. The results raise questions about the mechanisms that underlie changes in quality of life after vagus nerve stimulation in this group of children.

Key Words: vagus nerve stimulation • quality of life • epilepsy

This version was published on September 1, 2008

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 23, No. 9, 991-998 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0883073808315417
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