Oxford study confirms effectiveness of seizure treatment
Professor Arjune Sen led the study (Image: OUH)
The effectiveness of a treatment for severe seizures has been confirmed by a long-term study.
The CORE-VNS study, the largest of its kind, evaluated vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy in more than 800 people worldwide with drug-resistant epilepsy.
VNS therapy, produced by US medical technology company LivaNova, intermittently stimulates the vagus nerve to regulate brain activity and reduce seizures.
It is the most widely used form of neuromodulatory therapy for epilepsy in the UK.
Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) was the largest recruiter to the three-year study, which was led by Professor Arjune Sen, professor of global epilepsy at the University of Oxford and consultant neurologist at OUH.
Professor Sen said: "It is critically important to conduct long-term, real-world studies like CORE-VNS, and it is pleasing to see these clinically meaningful and durable results demonstrating the effectiveness of VNS therapy for people living with drug-resistant epilepsy."
The 36-month analysis confirmed the therapy’s effectiveness in both children and adults.
In children aged four to 18, focal impaired awareness (FIA) motor seizures were reduced by 87 per cent on average.
A focal seizure is when an epileptic seizure starts in one part of the brain.
When this is accompanied by confusion or a change in the person's level of awareness, it is called a focal impaired awareness seizure.
Thirty-four per cent of all patients reported complete freedom from these seizures in the three months before their three-year follow-up.
The therapy showed effectiveness as early as three months post-implantation, with further improvements seen at later follow-ups.
The study also maintained a high patient retention rate of 82 per cent over the three-year period.
Kathryn Nichol, vice president of global medical affairs at LivaNova, said: "LivaNova is deeply committed to advancing epilepsy research and in every study of VNS therapy to date, we continue to see that effectiveness can be achieved early and continue to improve month by month and visit by visit.
"This remained true over the course of three years in CORE-VNS.
"Further, CORE-VNS confirms that VNS therapy is effective for the most severe focal seizures in paediatric and adult patients.
"Not all seizures are created equal – this is why evaluating severe focal seizures that may have a larger impact on quality of life and outcomes in people with drug-resistant epilepsy is so important."
Stephanie Bolton, president of global epilepsy at LivaNova, added: "The strong outcomes from the CORE-VNS study bolster our efforts to narrow the drug-resistant epilepsy treatment gap, increase access to care, and drive awareness of surgical therapies for this significantly under-addressed patient population."
The full study results will be published later in the year.