A decade of experience with deep brain stimulation for patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Kristl Vonck, Mathieu Sprengers, Evelien Carrette, Ine Dauwe, Marijke Miatton, Alfred Meurs, Lut Goossens, Veerle DE Herdt, Rik Achten, Evert Thiery, Robrecht Raedt, Dirk VAN Roost, Paul Boon

Department of Neurology, Reference Center for Refractory Epilepsy, Gent, Belgium. Kristl.Vonck@UGent.be

International journal of neural systems 2013 Feb

filter terms:

In this study, we present long-term results from patients with medial temporal lobe (MTL) epilepsy treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). Since 2001, 11 patients (8M) with refractory MTL epilepsy underwent MTL DBS. When unilateral DBS failed to decrease seizures by > 90%, a switch to bilateral MTL DBS was proposed. After a mean follow-up of 8.5 years (range: 67-120 months), 6/11 patients had a ≥ 90% seizure frequency reduction with 3/6 seizure-free for > 3 years; three patients had a 40%-70% reduction and two had a < 30% reduction. In 3/5 patients switching to bilateral DBS further improved outcome. Uni- or bilateral MTL DBS did not affect neuropsychological functioning. This open study with an extended long-term follow-up demonstrates maintained efficacy of DBS for MTL epilepsy. In more than half of the patients, a seizure frequency reduction of at least 90% was reached. Bilateral MTL DBS may herald superior efficacy in unilateral MTL epilepsy.

Citation

Kristl Vonck, Mathieu Sprengers, Evelien Carrette, Ine Dauwe, Marijke Miatton, Alfred Meurs, Lut Goossens, Veerle DE Herdt, Rik Achten, Evert Thiery, Robrecht Raedt, Dirk VAN Roost, Paul Boon. A decade of experience with deep brain stimulation for patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy. International journal of neural systems. 2013 Feb;23(1):1250034