title: Deep brain stimulation for intractabile epilepsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is currently considered a promising neuromodulation therapy for refractory epilepsy not suitable for resective surgery. Several anatomical targets and different stimulation approaches have been proposed in order to obtain satisfactory seizures reduction. As expected, according with different patterns of neural pathways involvement, the efficacy of each anatomical target stimulation in reducing seizure frequency varies among the different epileptic syndromes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the current literature on this topic to provide an overview of the clinical efficacy of the main stimulation targets (anterior nucleus of the thalamus [ANT], hippocampus formation [HF] and centromedian nucleus of the thalamus [CMT]) related to the different epileptic syndromes. We also summarized the available data concerning side effects, neuropsychological outcome, quality of life and future perspective of DBS in intractable epilepsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Encouraging results were reported for each target stimulation. However, only in ANT and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) the efficacy and safety were tested on large series of patients and achieving class I evidence level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that responsive stimulation could be more appropriate in focal epilepsy, while ANT stimulation could be properly performed also in multifocal seizures with predominant limbic involvement. Despite the small samples size, HF stimulation reduces seizure frequency in (bi) temporal lobe epilepsy, as well as CMT stimulation is able to reduce, seizure frequency, in generalized epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy - michelangelo.dea@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morace
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DI Gennaro
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quarato
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Aniello
authors.forename: Addolorata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amascia
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grammaldo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DE Risi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sparano
authors.forename: Michelangelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DE Angelis
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: DI Cola
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solari
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000628:therapy*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome