title: VNS therapy in clinical practice in children with refractory epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the efficacy, tolerability and safety of the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy in clinical practice, in 16 children and adolescents with refractory epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed the efficacy of VNS therapy, retrospectively by comparing seizure frequency, duration and severity at the time of most recent follow up (av: 24.9 months) to that in the 4 weeks prior to VNS surgery. Changes in quality of life, sleep and behaviour at last review was compared with that prior to VNS. Adverse effects elicited by specific questioning, spontaneous reporting and clinical examination are described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vagus nerve stimulation resulted in a >50% reduction in seizure frequency in 62.5% of children with 25% achieving a >90% reduction. Vagus nerve stimulation was well tolerated in all but one of our cohort, with no serious side-effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support its role as one of the options in intractable childhood epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. lakshmi.nagarajan@health.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nagarajan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*