title: Improvement in alertness and behavior in children treated with combination topiramate and vagus nerve stimulation.
abstract: It has been reported that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) improves behavior in children, whereas topiramate has a less clear effect. Three boys, aged 5-12 years, with generalized slow spike-wave discharges and refractory epilepsy, were treated with combination therapy of topiramate and VNS. All three had a significant reduction in seizures, but even more dramatic improvement in aggression, social interaction, and ambulation. The Cyberonics Patient Outcome Registry was subsequently queried and a beneficial effect of this combination therapy on behavior (specifically alertness) beyond that of VNS and other anticonvulsants was noted. This did not appear to be due solely to seizure reduction, which was observed only differentially at 12 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. ekossoff@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kossoff
authors.forename: Paula L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Pyzik
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D012919:Social Behavior; D000077236:Topiramate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077236:Topiramate; D005632:Fructose