Efficacy and Safety of Treatment with Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation in 17 Patients with Refractory Epilepsy Evaluated by Electroencephalogram, Seizure Frequency, and Quality of Life

Background: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of treatment with transcutaneous vagus nerve stimu- lation (tVNS) for patients with refractory epilepsy by evaluation of the frequency of seizures, electroencephalogram (EEG) changes, and quality of life on follow-up at three months and six months. Material/Methods: EEG evaluation followed baseline evaluation with EEG at three months and six months following tVNS treatment. The frequency of seizures was recorded during the six-month study period. Before and after tVNS treatment, patients completed the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale (LSSS), the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31), and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: Seventeen patients completed six months of tVNS treatment. Following three months of tVNS therapy, the frequency of epileptic seizures decreased in 13/17 subjects, with an average reduced seizure rate of 31.3%. Following six months of tVNS treatment, the frequency of epileptic seizures decreased in 16/17 subjects, with an average reduced seizure rate of 64.4%. There were 14/17 cases with abnormal EEG at baseline; 2/17 patients had improved EEGs by three months, and 10/17 patients had improved EEGs by six months. During the study period, there were no adverse events associated with tVNS treatment, but the effects on sleep were inconclusive. Conclusions: This preliminary study showed that tVNS was an effective and safe adjuvant treatment for refractory epilepsy that reduced seizure frequency and reduced abnormal EEG changes following clinical improvement.