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Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy
October 8, 2009 |
It may look like a small device, but it packs a powerful punch. “What we hope to
do with this device is reduce the seizure frequency,” explains Dr. Jose Colon, a
pediatric neurologist with The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
It’s called the Vagus Nerve Stimulator. This tiny device is similar to a pacemaker
in that it sends electric impulses. But rather than sending them to the heart, they’re
sent to certain areas of the brain. The device itself is placed in the chest area,
under the skin, and there is a wire that is connected to the vagus nerve,” adds
Dr. Colon. The device continuously works in connection with the vagus nerve, sending
constant electrical impulses to that area of the brain. The same area where seizures
tend to develop.
Patients are also given a special magnet should they feel a seizure coming on. “We
have a magnet that if you rub the magnet
over the device itself it increases the
impulse a little more, hopefully to make the seizure not as long, and to recover
better after the seizure,” he adds.
Physicians like Dr. Colon turn to
this form of therapy if medications aren’t stopping
the problem.
Recent studies have shown that this device has reduced epilepsy episodes by 50%.
“If you have a child that’s having seizures on a daily basis, reducing the seizure
frequency by 30 or 50% is VERY significant in their quality of life,” says Dr. Colon.
Since this sort of therapy is not a drug, it can be used in conjunction with medications
as prescribed by a doctor.
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