Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Children

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation is a new type of treatment that may be tried when partial seizures cannot be controlled by other methods.

It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in adults and children over the age of 12, but is also sometimes prescribed for younger children with hard to control seizures.

How It Works

The treatment works by sending regular small bursts of electrical energy to the vagus nerve, a large nerve in the neck that leads directly into the brain.

The energy comes from a small, disk-like generator, about the size of a stop watch, that is surgically implanted under the skin on the chest wall.

The generator is connected to lead wires under the skin, the ends of which are wound round the vagus nerve. The operation which places the device can be done on an in patient or outpatient basis.

The doctor programs the timing of the energy pulses. A typical setting might be 30 seconds of simulation every five minutes, 24 hours a day.

If a child with this device feels a seizure coming on, he or she can learn how to activate the system for an out of phase pulse of energy by passing or waving a small magnet over the generator.

The most frequently reported side effect from the VNS system is voice change during stimulation. Hoarseness, throat pain, or infection sometimes occur. Children with the VNS generally stay on medication, but may be able to reduce the amount.

The system does not promise complete freedom from seizures, but many people who have had the implant report some improvement. In many cases they say that their quality of life has become better.