Skin conductance biofeedback training in adults with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy and stress-triggered seizures: A proof-of-concept study
Epilepsy & Behavior. 2014-12-01; 41: 244-250
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.10.017
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1. Epilepsy Behav. 2014 Dec;41:244-50. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.10.017. Epub 2014
Nov 5.
Skin conductance biofeedback training in adults with drug-resistant temporal lobe
epilepsy and stress-triggered seizures: a proof-of-concept study.
Micoulaud-Franchi JA(1), Kotwas I(2), Lanteaume L(3), Berthet C(4), Bastien M(2),
Vion-Dury J(5), McGonigal A(6), Bartolomei F(7).
Author information:
(1)Unité de Neurophysiologie (UNPN), Pôle de Psychiatrie « Solaris », Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire de Sainte-Marguerite, 270 Bd de Sainte-Marguerite,
13009 Marseille, France; Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives (LNC), UMR CNRS
7291, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France. Electronic address:
.
(2)Laboratoire Parole et Langage (UMR 7309), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille,
France.
(3)CIC-CPCET – Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique et Evaluations Thérapeutiques,
Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
(4)Unité de Neurophysiologie (UNPN), Pôle de Psychiatrie « Solaris », Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire de Sainte-Marguerite, 270 Bd de Sainte-Marguerite,
13009 Marseille, France.
(5)Unité de Neurophysiologie (UNPN), Pôle de Psychiatrie « Solaris », Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire de Sainte-Marguerite, 270 Bd de Sainte-Marguerite,
13009 Marseille, France; Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives (LNC), UMR CNRS
7291, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
(6)Unité mixte INSERM Epilepsie et Cognition UMR 751, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385
Marseille Cedex 05, France; Service de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Centre
Hospitalo Universitaire de la Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13005 Marseille,
France.
(7)Unité mixte INSERM Epilepsie et Cognition UMR 751, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385
Marseille Cedex 05, France; Service de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Centre
Hospitalo Universitaire de la Timone, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13005 Marseille,
France; Hôpital Henri Gastaut, Etablissement hospitalier spécialisé dans le
traitement des epilepsies, 300 Boulevard de Sainte-Marguerite, 13009 Marseille,
France.
The present proof-of-concept study investigated the feasibility of skin
conductance biofeedback training in reducing seizures in adults with
drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), whose seizures are triggered by
stress. Skin conductance biofeedback aims to increase levels of peripheral
sympathetic arousal in order to reduce cortical excitability. This might seem
somewhat counterintuitive, since such autonomic arousal may also be associated
with increased stress and anxiety. Thus, this sought to verify that patients with
TLE and stress-triggered seizures are not worsened in terms of stress, anxiety,
and negative emotional response to this nonpharmacological treatment. Eleven
patients with drug-resistant TLE with seizures triggered by stress were treated
with 12 sessions of biofeedback. Patients did not worsen on cognitive evaluation
of attentional biases towards negative emotional stimuli (P>.05) or on
psychometric evaluation with state anxiety inventory (P = .059); in addition, a
significant improvement was found in the Negative Affect Schedule (P = .014) and
in the Beck Depression Inventory (P = .009). Biofeedback training significantly
reduced seizure frequency with a mean reduction of -48.61% (SD = 27.79) (P =
.005). There was a correlation between the mean change in skin conductance
activity over the biofeedback treatment and the reduction of seizure frequency
(r(11) = .62, P = .042). Thus, the skin conductance biofeedback used in the
present study, which teaches patients to achieve an increased level of peripheral
sympathetic arousal, was a well-tolerated nonpharmacological treatment. Further,
well-controlled studies are needed to confirm the therapeutic value of this
nonpharmacological treatment in reducing seizures in adults with drug-resistant
TLE with seizures triggered by stress.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.10.017
PMID: 25461224 [Indexed for MEDLINE]