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Brain‐type Natriuretic Peptide Release and Seizure Activity during Vagal Nerve Stimulation
Author(s) -
Rauchenzauner Markus,
Haberlandt Edda,
Högler Wolfgang,
Luef Gerhard
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2007.00917.x
Subject(s) - vagus nerve stimulation , epilepsy , medicine , brain natriuretic peptide , diuretic , stimulation , natriuretic peptide , vagus nerve , anesthesia , adverse effect , endocrinology , pharmacology , heart failure , psychiatry
Summary: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has emerged as an effective adjunctive therapy for medically refractory epilepsy when surgery is inadvisable. N‐terminal brain‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is a potent natriuretic, diuretic, and vasodilatative compound first discovered in the human brain but mainly synthesized in the myocardium. The monitoring of VNS effectiveness in reducing seizure frequency or the detection of possible cardiac adverse effects would be helped by a reliable biochemical marker, which has not been available thus far. We report a four‐year‐old boy with drug‐resistant idiopathic generalized epilepsy whose NT‐proBNP levels increased during VNS and seizures.