Central stimulation treatment of epilepsy.

Abstract

Therapeutic electrical stimulation of nucleus caudatus was performed in 26 patients suffering from epilepsy. Sixteen of them had previously undergone destructive stereotactic surgery in different deep brain structures and the stimulation was indicated as an additional procedure. The results reported are related to 10 patients stimulated without any other surgical treatment. In 3 subjects stimulation of temporal lobe structures was performed as well. Good therapeutic effects were obtained in 2 cases following caudate stimulation. Mild improvement or no effect were obtained in the other cases, including the two submitted to hippocampal stimulation. Interesting speculation on the relationships between caudate and hippocampal electrical activity have been generated.