![]() | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Background: Epilepsy is a chronic disorder affecting people of different ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of refractory focal epilepsy and the most frequent target for resective epilepsy surgery. Cathodal t-DCS is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique, had shown a tendency to decrease cortical excitability, presumably works by reducing polarity-dependent cortical excitability shifts. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cathodal transcranial direct current polarization on temporal lobe drug resistant epilepsy patients as assessed by seizure frequency, Liverpool seizure severity scale, electroencephalography, MoCA questionnaire, P300 (amplitude and latency), quantitative analysis of electroencephalography. Methods: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial on 30 patients diagnosed with temporal lobe drug resistant epilepsy were enrolled in our study. The inclusion criteria were: Temporal lobe epilepsy patients their ages ranges from 12 up to 40 years, on two or more correctly prescribed tolerable antiepileptic drugs for more than 12 months with seizure frequency at least once per week. The patients were randomized into 2 groups. group A received “once daily split session (20minute stimulation- break for 20 min- repeat 20-minute stimulation) on 5 consecutive days of cathodal tDCS” over the side of most frequent interictal epileptiform discharges or the area of suspected ictal onset inferred by MRI findings and clinical seizure semiology. group B received sham sessions. Results: Statistically significant percentage of reduction of the seizure frequency, Liver pool seizure severity scale and the epileptiform discharges on the EEG record were detected in the tDCS group after one month of the 5 daily sessions. Conclusion: Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation can improve seizure control for patients with temporal lobe drug resistant epilepsy, where it reduces the seizure frequency, seizure severity as well as the epileptiform discharges in the EEG for up to one month post sessions. |