Effect Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation On Cognitive Function Of Patients With Refractory Epilepsy

Objective: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with a core feature of cognitive impairments.Some studies have shown that there are psychological theory and executive function impairment in patients with epilepsy.As a new type of neuromodulation surgery,vagus nerve stimulation has been widely used in China recently.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vagus nerve stimulation on cognitive function in patients with refractory epilepsy.Methods: A prospective study was conducted to select refractory epileptic patients who received vagus nerve stimulation in the neurosurgical functional subgroup of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.In strict accordance with the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria,20 cases of patients(aged 10-48 years)with vagus nerve stimulation were finally included,and their cognitive function was evaluated by relevant cognitive assessment scale.A complete cognitive function test was performed preoperatively and 6 months after surgery,and statistical software was used for statistical analysis.Results:(1)There were differences in preoperative and postoperative simple intelligence test scores of patients with refractory epilepsy,but the differences were not statistically significant(t=-0.922,P=0.362>0.05).(2)Preoperative and postoperative Montreal cognitive test scores of patients with refractory epilepsy were changed,and the changes were statistically significant(t=-2.079,P=0.044<0.05).(3)Emotional assessment indicated that the patients with intractable epilepsy showed significant improvement in emotional state after surgery,which was statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)The executive function test(the line experiment)indicated that the attention of the patients after receiving the vagus nerve stimulation for six months was improved compared with that before the operation,which was statistically significant(P<0.05),but the improvement in the complex executive ability was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion: As a kind of neuromodulatory operation for the treatment of refractory epilepsy,the long-term vagus nerve stimulation can improve the cognitive function of patients with refractory epilepsy.