Boubker Zaaimi | PubMed Health

PubMed2006

Cardiorespiratory effects induced by vagus nerve stimulation in epileptic children.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is used in pharmaco-resistant epilepsy to decrease the number of seizures. Although it is well known that VNS affects respiration, there are only a few reports concerning an effect of VNS on heart rate or heart rate variability (HRV). We investigated the relationship between respiratory frequency and the high frequency (HF) domain of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the RR interval function during night sleep recordings of ten subjects treated with VNS. Our results show that VNS shifts the frequency of maximal power spectrum density (PSD) in the HF-band, decreases the related PSD and induces a partial cardiorespiratory decoupling.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Vagus nerve stimulation induces concomitant respiratory alterations and a decrease in SaO2 in children.

PURPOSE: To analyze respiratory alterations and effects on SaO(2) caused by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in children with epilepsy. METHODS: Polysomnographic recordings, including electroencephalography, thoracoabdominal distention, nasal airflow, SaO(2), and VNS artifact were evaluated in 10 children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy treated with VNS. RESULTS: Each VNS caused a significant increase in respiratory frequency (p < 0.05) throughout the stimulation period and a decrease in thoracoabdominal-distention amplitude (p < 0.05), especially at the beginning of the stimulation. These respiratory alterations induced a decrease in SaO(2) from 1 to 5%. The effects of VNS on respiration differed significantly between rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep states. CONCLUSIONS: VNS caused a pronounced change in respiration in children with epilepsy, and this induced a decrease in SaO(2). It is possible that VNS has a neuroprotective effect, and this possibility calls for further investigation.

Adolescent↗