Deep Brain Stimulation and Epilepsy
Hans O. Lüders
Abstract
Abstract Since the pioneer efforts by Cooper et al. to control epilepsy by chronic cerebellar stimulation, numerous attempts have been made to influence seizure frequency and severity by stimulation of several deep-seated brain nuclei, particularly the thalamus and the limbic structures. Evidence that seizures can be influenced by vagal nerve stimulation and the growing use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with Parkinson's disease and tremor, has rekindled the interest of controlling seizures by deep brain stimulation. In this manuscript, the experimental evidence supporting the existence of a nigral control of epilepsy (NCE) system is discussed. In addition, preliminary evidence in humans with the effect of subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation on pharmacologically resistant epilepsy is presented.