Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
Three years of real-world data confirm that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy keeps working — and then some. The 36-month CORE-VNS study found a 76% median reduction in seizure frequency among people with drug-resistant epilepsy, with 16% achieving complete seizure freedom. Hospitalizations dropped sharply, and no new safety concerns emerged.
For the roughly one-third of epilepsy patients whose seizures don't respond to medication, options are limited — but a large new study offers encouraging news. The 36-month CORE-VNS study, published in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, tracked 531 people with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) across 61 sites in 16 countries who received their first vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implant. The results: a 76% median reduction in seizure frequency, with benefits appearing as early as 3 months post-implant and holding steady through the full follow-up period.
Beyond seizure counts, the study painted a broader picture of improved daily life. Nearly half of participants reported better quality of life at 36 months, and healthcare use dropped dramatically — seizure-related hospitalizations fell from 27% to just 7% of participants over the study period.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Drug-resistant epilepsy is notoriously difficult to manage, and these findings provide robust, real-world evidence that VNS therapy offers durable, meaningful relief — not just in seizure control, but in reducing the downstream burden on patients and healthcare systems alike.
