Responsive neurostimulation as a therapy for epilepsy following new-onset refractory status epilepticus: Case series and review of the literature

Objective: To report clinical outcomes of patients who presented with new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE), developed drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), and were treated with responsive neurostimulation (RNS). Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients implanted with RNS at our institution and identified three who originally presented with NORSE. Through chart review, we retrieved objective and subjective information related to their presentation, workup, and outcomes including patient-reported seizure frequency. We reviewed electrocorticography (ECoG) data to estimate seizure burden at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months following RNS implantation. We performed a review of literature concerning neurostimulation in NORSE. Results: Use of RNS to treat DRE following NORSE was associated with reduced seizure burden and informed care by differentiating epileptic from non-epileptic events. Conclusions: Our single-center experience of three cases suggests that RNS is a safe and potentially effective treatment for DRE following NORSE. Significance: This article reports outcomes of the largest case series of NORSE patients treated with RNS. Since patients with NORSE are at high risk of adverse neuropsychiatric and cognitive sequelae beyond seizures, a unique strength of RNS over other surgical options is the ability to distinguish ictal or peri-ictal from non-epileptic events.