Comprehensive Summary
This review by Shields et al. examines the role of neuromodulation as a treatment strategy for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by multiple drug-resistant seizure types and significant cognitive impairment. The authors conducted a focused narrative review of existing clinical trials, meta-analyses, and observational studies evaluating three neuromodulation modalities: vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and responsive neurostimulation. Across studies, all three approaches demonstrated meaningful seizure reduction in approximately half of treated patients, with responder rates generally improving over time. Vagus nerve stimulation had the longest safety record and consistently provided benefit for seizures across all semiologies. In contrast, deep brain stimulation and responsive neurostimulation demonstrated a higher response rate in analyses meeting specific criteria, but were less responsive overall. The authors highlight that seizure type, patient age, surgical candidacy, and device-specific risks strongly influence treatment selection. They also, in the context of evolving research in the field, feel it necessary to emphasize that optical neuromodulation therapy functions as a long-term treatment for rate reduction in chronic seizure disorders rather than as a focus on immediate seizure termination.
Outcomes and Implications
Neuromodulation represents an important therapeutic option for patients with LGS who fail antiseizure medications and are not candidates for the current gold standard of treatment, which is curative resective surgery (LGS is frequently associated with comorbidities, which often act as absolute contraindications to corrective surgeries). By reducing seizure burden and improving alertness and behavior, these therapies mitigate both seizure-related morbidity and caregiver burden. The review underscores that deep brain stimulation and responsive neurostimulation, while more invasive and resource-intensive, may offer advantages through long-term adaptability. In contrast, Vagus Nerve stimulation remains the cost-effective and widely accessible option. The authors note that broader incorporation of these techniques is limited by the lack of randomized comparative trials, pediatric-specific regulatory approval, and validated biomarkers predicting response (all trials analyzed in this study were forced to use unverified surrogate endpoints for morbidity and mortality). Further research into the benefits and optimizations of these tools would likely broaden their acceptance among practitioners and in clinical use, potentially empowering the medical community to arm itself with better treatment options for LGS.