Chronic Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Alertness and Reduces Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in Patients Affected by Refractory Epilepsy

2003 
daytime naps and an increased daytime alertness, while the quality of wakefulness is globally improved. Spectral analysis shows an enhancement of delta power during non-rapid eye movement sleep. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate major effects of vagus nerve stimulation on both daytime alertness (which is improved) and nocturnal rapid eye movement sleep (which is reduced). These effects could be interpreted as the result of a destabilizing action of vagus nerve stimulation on neural structures regulating sleep-wake and rapid eye movement/nonrapid eye movement sleep cycles. Lower intensity vagus nerve stimulation seems only to improve alertness; higher intensity vagus nerve stimulation seems able to exert an adjunctive rapid eye movement sleep-attenuating effect.
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