Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: This study documents the journey of one intractable Epilepsy patient contemplating the implantation of a Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) device.Intractable, or pharmacoresistant, Epilepsy is Epilepsy that is uncontrolled despite appropriate medical treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AED's).More than 30% of patients continue to have seizures in spite of multiple trials with pharmacologic therapy (Kwan & Brodie 2000).Scientists had long known that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve in the neck could "flatten out" brain waves, thus possibly decreasing seizure activity, and in 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved VNS Therapy in combination with seizure medication.On the surface, it might appear that the decision would be an easy one, yet past frustrations and the uncertainty of favorable results make this decision one worth studying.iii Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the woman who is actually the subject of study, my wife of thirty-two years.Seeing the battles she has faced, and won, is truly inspiring.The social stigma of a young person with a seizure disorder can be suffocating.First-line seizure medications, even now, can make concentration and studying very difficult, and the educational process a frightening one.This was the case with my wonderful wife, yet she persevered and taught me more about life than she can possibly know.A very successful co-owner and co-teacher at a Christian preschool, her support of my pursuit of higher education has been unwavering.Loved dearly by her two children and two grandchildren, she shares unselfishly, loves unconditionally, and lives faithfully, always true to her God and to herself.She has my undying love always. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTIONThrough participatory study, I have examined the journey of one patient with medically refractory (intractable) Epilepsy as she sought to make the best possible decision regarding Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy.This decision can indeed be daunting, and very little from the patient perspective has been written to help in the process.As the spouse of the study's subject, I endeavored to help her in her decision process by researching VNS Therapy as thoroughly as possible.It was during this research that we discovered just how little of substance had been written from the viewpoint of the patient.In fact, we could only find one book that had been written by an actual VNS patient, describing the procedure, its efficacy, and the quality of life after a successful implant (Donovan, 2005).The fact that we found this book on a website called "vagusnervestimulation.com" diminished its credibility somewhat, as did the fact that Cyberonics, the manufacturer of VNS devices, sponsors many of the Epilepsy clinics throughout the United States.It became obvious that unbiased information was going to be hard to find, and that some doctors may be "pushing" VNS for reasons beyond the needs of patients.For someone with intractable Epilepsy, just the possibility of relief from seizures might be sufficient motivation to undergo VNS implantation, a procedure that can promise little more than the odds of tossing a coin.Epilepsy
Author: Mark K Cuthbertson
Institution: University of Toledo
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2227436498