Benefits of Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury and Reduced Cognitive Status: a systematic literature review

Benefícios da Estimulação do Nervo Vago em Pacientes com Lesão Cerebral Traumática e Redução do Estado Cognitivo: uma revisão sistemática da literatura

• Bernardo Malheiros Tessari (1)    
• Victória Carolinne Alves Luiz (1)    
• Ledismar José da Silva (2)    

• https://doi.org/10.22290/jbnc.2023.340205
• J Bras Neurocirur 34 (2): 228-236, 2023

Resumo

A estimulação do nervo vago (VNS) consiste em estimular este nervo para tratamento da epilepsia. Atualmente, em decorrência do elevado número de pacientes com trauma cranioencefálico, a VNS tem sido estudada como uma opção para seu tratamento, principalmente naqueles indivíduos com diminuição do estado cognitivo. No presente trabalho, foi conduzida uma revisão sistemática da literatura científica utilizando o protocolo PRISMA, com o objetivo de avaliar o uso da VNS em modelos clínicos e pré-clínicos de lesão cerebral com alteração cognitiva. Foram incluídos 16 artigos, que estudaram a VNS em modelos animais e humanos pós-traumatismo. Embora existam limitações nos estudos realizados com humanos, o uso da VNS e suas variações apresenta resultados promissores para a recuperação e o tratamento de pacientes com redução do estado cognitivo pós-traumatismo.

Palavras-chave

Estimulação do nervo vago; Lesões encefálicas traumáticas; Estado minimamente consciente; Neurocirurgia

Abstract

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) consists in stimulating this nerve to treat epilepsy. Currently, due to the high number of patients with traumatic brain injury, VNS has been studied as an option for their treatment, especially in those individuals with reduced cognitive status. In the present work, a systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted using the PRISMA protocol, aiming to evaluate the use of VNS in clinical and preclinical models of brain injury with cognitive impairment. In total, 16 articles were included that studied VNS in post-trauma animal and human models. Despite the limitations of human studies, the use of VNS and its variations has promising results for the recovery and treatment of patients with reduced post-trauma cognitive status.

Keywords

Vagus nerve stimulation; Traumatic brain injuries; Minimally conscious state; Neurosurgery

References

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1 Medicine student, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás – PUC-Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.

2 MD, MSc, Neurosurgeon, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás – PUC-Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.

 

Received Jan 28, 2023

Accepted Feb 20, 2023