Is your epilepsy patient a candidate for DBS therapy?

Bilateral anterior thalamic nucleus neurostimulation may be considered for patients who meet the following criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Diagnosed with epilepsy characterized by partial-onset seizures, with or without secondary generalization
  • Refractory to three or more antiepileptic medications
  • Averaged over six seizures per month for the last three months (with no more than 30 days between seizures)

Treating epilepsy symptoms with deep brain stimulation 

If your epilepsy patients haven’t responded to medications as well as you hoped, deep brain stimulation (DBS) may help reduce the frequency of seizures — and improve quality of life.

See clinical summary (open in new window)

Benefits of Medtronic DBS for epilepsy

  • Significantly reduces the frequency of seizures in adults with medically-refractory partial-onset epilepsy1
  • Significantly reduces patients’ most severe seizures, complex partial seizures, and incidence of epilepsy-related injury1
  • Patients who have tried vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) showed long-term improvement in seizure frequency with DBS1
  • Patients who have tried resective surgery showed improvement in seizure frequency with DBS1
  • Improves quality of life long-term1
  • Safe† access to MRI anywhere on the body for diagnosing health conditions
     

After seven years, patients experienced a median 75% reduction in seizure frequency from baseline.1

Risks

Placing the DBS system requires brain surgery, which could have serious and even fatal complications including coma, bleeding inside the brain, stroke, seizures, and infection. Once implanted, the system may become infected, parts may wear through the skin, and the lead and/or extension connector may move. Medtronic DBS therapy could stop suddenly because of mechanical or electrical problems. Any of these situations may require additional surgery or cause symptoms to return or worsen.

In patients receiving Medtronic DBS therapy, depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide have been reported.

This therapy is not for everyone. This therapy should not be used for patients who will be exposed to diathermy (deep heat treatment) or transcranial magnetic stimulation. Magnetic resonance imaging† (MRI) should only be performed as described in the product labeling. The DBS system may interact with other medical devices and electromagnetic interference.

In addition to the risks and side effects related to DBS therapy, the following side effects can occur with DBS therapy for epilepsy: status epilepticus and changes in seizures (new seizure type or worsening seizures such as increased seizure frequency, duration, and/or severity).

Healthcare professionals must review the product technical manual prior to use for detailed disclosure. For information refer to indications, safety, and warnings or call Medtronic at 800-328-0810.

Discover how DBS therapy for epilepsy works.