title: Transcranial magnetic stimulation for refractory focal status epilepticus in the intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the efficacy and safety profile of antiepileptic repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for refractory status epilepticus (RSE) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. In addition, hypothetical concerns about electrical interference of rTMS with ICU equipment have been previously raised.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe two cases of RSE treated with rTMS in the ICU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In one case, rTMS contributed to decreased seizure frequency; in the second case, rTMS transiently decreased seizure frequency. In both cases, rTMS was safe and did not interfere with the functioning of the ICU equipment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  rTMS is a potential therapy for RSE when conventional therapies have failed. Future studies should investigate the efficacy of various rTMS stimulation parameters, safety issues, and bioengineering considerations in the ICU setting.
authors.affiliation: New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, 223 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA; New York University Langone Medical Center and School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 USA. Electronic address: anli.liu@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Anli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Trudy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual-Leone
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: Epilepsia partialis continua; Intensive care unit; Refractory status epilepticus; Transcranial magnetic stimulation