Faculty Collaboration Database

fMRI in patients implanted with a vagal nerve stimulator. Seizure 2002 Apr;11(3):157-62

Date

05/23/2002

Pubmed ID

12018958

DOI

10.1053/seiz.2001.0601

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0036287585 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   62 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility and safety of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine the blood oxygen level dependent changes (BOLD) in patients undergoing vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) for the treatment of epilepsy.

METHODS: Four patients with an implanted vagus nerve stimulator had fMRI images acquired during several cycles of intermittent VNS. Blood oxygen level dependent changes were detected. These regions were then superimposed upon the patients' structural MR images.

RESULTS: Patients undergoing VNS tolerated fMRI without difficulty. No complications with the implanted stimulators were encountered. Areas of activation were noted in several cortical regions, including frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortices.

CONCLUSION: Our study in four patients shows fMRI can be performed safely in patients with an implanted vagal nerve stimulator. The successful use of fMRI during VNS offers potential advantages over PET imaging by allowing rapid image acquisition and the ability to repeatedly study patients over time. Our preliminary results differ from previous PET or SPECT studies in failing to detect changes in subcortical areas. This finding could be due to the smaller n in this study compared with the other studies.

Author List

Sucholeiki R, Alsaadi TM, Morris GL 3rd, Ulmer JL, Biswal B, Mueller WM

Author

Wade M. Mueller MD Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Brain Mapping
Electric Stimulation
Epilepsy
Feasibility Studies
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Oxygen
Pilot Projects
Vagus Nerve