Summary Summary Short summary of a recent publication, written by scientific experts. Published: 29 May 2023

Study demonstrates real-world benefits of deep brain stimulation in drug-resistant epilepsy

  • A study of the Medtronic Registry for Epilepsy evaluated the safety and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus in 170 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy from 13 countries.
  • The median monthly seizure frequency decreased from 15.8% at baseline to 8.8% at 2 years following DBS, with a responder rate of 32.3%. Among 47 patients with 5 years of follow-up, the median monthly seizure frequency decreased from 16.0% at baseline to 7.9% at 5 years.
  • The most commonly reported adverse events were changes in seizure (16%), memory impairment (15%), depressive mood (13%), and epilepsy (12%).