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August 26, 2014; 83 (9) Crossroads: Two Points of View

Skepticism should not result in ignoring a treatment option

Selim Benbadis, Sandra Helmers, Lawrence Hirsch, Joseph Sirven, Fernando L. Vale, James Wheless
First published August 25, 2014, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000000743
Selim Benbadis
From the Departments of Neurology (S.B.) and Neurosurgery (F.L.V.), University of South Florida, Tampa; the Department of Neurology (S.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (L.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT; the Department of Neurology (J.S.), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix; and the University of Tennessee (J.W.), Knoxville.
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Sandra Helmers
From the Departments of Neurology (S.B.) and Neurosurgery (F.L.V.), University of South Florida, Tampa; the Department of Neurology (S.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (L.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT; the Department of Neurology (J.S.), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix; and the University of Tennessee (J.W.), Knoxville.
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Lawrence Hirsch
From the Departments of Neurology (S.B.) and Neurosurgery (F.L.V.), University of South Florida, Tampa; the Department of Neurology (S.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (L.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT; the Department of Neurology (J.S.), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix; and the University of Tennessee (J.W.), Knoxville.
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Joseph Sirven
From the Departments of Neurology (S.B.) and Neurosurgery (F.L.V.), University of South Florida, Tampa; the Department of Neurology (S.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (L.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT; the Department of Neurology (J.S.), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix; and the University of Tennessee (J.W.), Knoxville.
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Fernando L. Vale
From the Departments of Neurology (S.B.) and Neurosurgery (F.L.V.), University of South Florida, Tampa; the Department of Neurology (S.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (L.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT; the Department of Neurology (J.S.), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix; and the University of Tennessee (J.W.), Knoxville.
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James Wheless
From the Departments of Neurology (S.B.) and Neurosurgery (F.L.V.), University of South Florida, Tampa; the Department of Neurology (S.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Yale Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (L.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT; the Department of Neurology (J.S.), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix; and the University of Tennessee (J.W.), Knoxville.
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Citation
Skepticism should not result in ignoring a treatment option
Selim Benbadis, Sandra Helmers, Lawrence Hirsch, Joseph Sirven, Fernando L. Vale, James Wheless
Neurology Aug 2014, 83 (9) 849-850; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000743

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We agree with some of the arguments of So et al.1 to justify the skepticism of “refractory” epilepsy centers.

Footnotes

  • Author contributions: Dr. Benbadis: original conceptualization, drafting, data collection and organization from NAEC, principal writing. Dr. Helmers: interpretation of the data, critical review of concepts and content, and editing. Dr. Hirsch: interpretation of the data, critical review of concepts and content, and editing. Dr. Sirven: interpretation of the data, critical review of concepts and content, and editing. Dr. Vale: critical review and input from surgical point of view and editing. Dr. Wheless: interpretation of the data, critical review of concepts and content, and editing.

  • Study funding: No targeted funding reported.

  • Disclosure: S. Benbadis has served as a consultant for Cyberonics, Lundbeck, RSC Diagnostics, Sunovion, Supernus, UCB Pharma, and Upsher-Smith; is on the speakers' bureau for Cyberonics, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Sunovion, Supernus, and UCB Pharma; has received grant support from Cyberonics, Lundbeck, Sepracor, Sunovion, Supernus, UCB Pharma, and Upsher-Smith; has received royalties as an author or editor for Emedicine-Medscape-WebMD and UpToDate; and is on the editorial boards of Medscape-WebMD, European Neurology, Epileptic Disorders, Epilepsy and Behavior, and Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. S. Helmers has served as a consultant for Cyberonics and UCB; has received grant support from Cyberonics and UCB; and has an IPA with the CDC. L. Hirsch has received research support from UCB, Upsher-Smith, and Lundbeck; has served as a consultant to Lundbeck, Upsher-Smith, RSC Diagnostics, Neuropace, and Natus; and has received royalties from UpToDate and for coauthoring Atlas of EEG in Critical Care (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010). J. Sirven has received grant support from Neuropace, Cyberonics, Eisai, and Upsher-Smith; has served as consultant for Lundbeck, Sunovion, and Upsher-Smith; has received royalties from UpToDate, LWW, and time compensation from the Epilepsy Foundation for Epilepsy.com; and serves on the editorial board of Epilepsy & Behavior, Epilepsy Currents, and Mayo Clinic Proceedings. F. Vale reports no disclosures. J. Wheless has received grants from NH, Shainberg Foundation, GSK, Cyberonics, Eisai, Upsher-Smith, and Novartis; has served as a consultant for Lundbeck, Cyberonics, Pfizer, Eisai, Sunovion, Supernus, and Upsher-Smith; and has served on the speakers' bureau for Lundbeck, Questcor, Cyberonics, Eisai, and Supernus. Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures.

  • © 2014 American Academy of Neurology
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  • Role of neurostimulation in the treatment of epilepsy
    • O'Neill F. D'Cruz, Chief Medical Officer, Cyberonicsoneill.dcruz@cyberonics.com
    Submitted September 15, 2014
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