![]() VNS therapy can cause side effects but usually only during the time that the nerve is being stimulated. The AspireSR® and SenTiva® devices can pick up these changes and give automatic stimulation in a similar way to magnet stimulation. Some people may experience an increase in heart rate during their seizures. For people who have no warning before a seizure, someone else could use the magnet for them when a seizure happens. Keep the magnet close by - it can be worn on the wrist like a watch, or on a belt, or attached to a wheelchair. This may stop the aura from developing into another seizure, or may reduce how long it takes the person to recover after a seizure. When this happens, a special magnet can be passed over the stimulator to give stronger stimulation for a slightly longer period of time. Some people have a warning or aura which is a focal aware seizure that tells them that they are going to have a further seizure. What can VNS therapy do during a seizure? When the battery is low, the stimulator needs to be replaced, during an operation similar to the one when it was put in. The stimulator has a battery inside it which can last up to ten years. Usually it is set at 30 seconds of stimulation every five minutes through the day and night. The amount of stimulation varies from person to person, but is usually started at a low level and slowly increased to a suitable level for each person. The neurologist or nurse will programme the stimulator and set the amount (strength and length) of the electrical stimulation given. ![]() The stimulator is usually switched on within four weeks of it being implanted. Because the electrodes are coiled around the nerve in the neck, there will also be a small scar where they are inserted, usually in the fold of the neck. A lead connects the stimulator in the chest to the vagus nerve in the left side of the neck. It is implanted (placed) under the skin in the upper chest (under the left collar bone) during a small operation under general anaesthetic.īecause of the size of the stimulator there will be a small lump where it lies, and a small scar where it was put in. The stimulator is a bit like a heart pacemaker. People who are considering VNS will usually be given information about VNS from their neurologist or epilepsy specialist nurse. VNS therapy is usually considered if you have tried a number of AEDs which have not fully controlled your seizures, and if you are not suitable for, or do not want to have, brain surgery. However, if VNS therapy works, it may be possible to reduce a person’s AEDs over time. It is used alongside anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) not instead of them. The effect of VNS therapy may not happen straightaway it can take up to two years for it to have an effect on someone's seizures. It is unlikely to completely stop seizures and it does not ‘cure’ epilepsy. It may also reduce the time it takes to recover after a seizure. VNS therapy may reduce the length or intensity of seizures but this does not happen for everyone. For some people, their seizures become much less frequent, for some it may reduce their seizures a little, and for others it has no effect. VNS therapy aims to reduce the number, length, and severity of seizures. The stimulator sends regular, mild electrical stimulations through this nerve to help calm down the irregular electrical brain activity that leads to seizures. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy is a treatment for epilepsy that involves a stimulator (or 'pulse generator') which is connected, inside the body, to the left vagus nerve in the neck. What is VNS therapy and how does it work? ![]() They carry messages between the brain and the body. The vagus nerves are a pair of nerves that start in the brain and run through the body. ![]() Vagus nerve stimulation therapy is a form of treatment for people with epilepsy whose seizures are not controlled with medication. How well each treatment works varies from one person to another. There are several ways to treat epilepsy. The stimulator sends regular, mild electrical stimulations through this nerve to help calm down the irregular electrical brain activity that leads to seizures. Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy is a treatment for epilepsy that involves a stimulator (or 'pulse generator') which is connected, inside the body, to the left vagus nerve in the neck. Queen’s Memorial Fund & book of condolences.Her Majesty The Queen: 70 years of service.Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).Care and treatment: your rights and choices. ![]()
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