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Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for a patient with drug resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: 1 year follow-up

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Abstract

Background

Drug-resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (DR-JME) remains a significant challenge in neurology. Traditional management strategies often fail to achieve satisfactory control, necessitating innovative treatments.

Objective

This case report aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) in a patient with DR-JME.

Methods

We describe the treatment of a patient with DR-JME using STN-DBS. The patient underwent implantation and received high-frequency stimulation (HFS) at the STN.

Results

One year post-implantation, the patient demonstrated a substantial reduction in motor seizure frequency by 87.5%, with improvements in quality of life and seizure severity by 52.0% and 46.7%, respectively. No adverse events were reported during the follow-up period.

Conclusions

This case represents the first report of favorable outcomes with STN-DBS in a patient with DR-JME, suggesting that long-term HFS of the STN may be a promising treatment option for patients suffering from this condition.

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Data availability

The original contributions provided in the study are all included in the article and can be further queried to the corresponding author if specifically requested.

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Correspondence to Hongwei Cheng.

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Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Ethics Committee Approval code: 2019H022). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1975 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in the study.

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Informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this case report. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal on request. The patient understands that their name and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

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Shan, M., Mao, H., Hu, T. et al. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for a patient with drug resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: 1 year follow-up. Neurol Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-024-07553-1

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