Effect of vagus nerve stimulation for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a very tricky disorder, which greatly affects quality of life in such patients. Relevant studies suggested that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has potential benefits for DRE. However, there are inconsistent conclusions. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether VNS is effective and safety for DRE.

Methods: To collect comprehensive randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the following electronic databases will be retrieved: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AMED, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from the commencement of each electronic database up to the present with no language restrictions. Two authors will independently carry out all procedures of literature selection, information collection, and risk of bias assessment. Any objections will be worked out by a third author through consultation. The risk of bias for each included trial will be identified using Cochrane risk of bias tool, and statistical analysis will be performed utilizing RevMan 5.3 software.

Results: This study will synthesize the data from the present eligible high quality RCTs to assess whether VNS is effective and safety for DRE.

Conclusion: This study will provide systematic evidence of VNS for the treatment of patients with DRE.

Systematic Review Registration: INPLASY202040086.