Electroacupuncture at acupoints could predict the outcome of anterior nucleus thalamus high-frequency electrical stimulation in medically refractory epilepsy.

Preliminary reports have demonstrated that anterior nucleus thalamus high-frequency electrical stimulation (ANT-HFS) is an effective treatment for patients who suffer from medically refractory epilepsy. However, its extensive application has been hampered by the high cost and the unpredictable outcome before the operation. Just like ANT-HFS in the brain, electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints with electrical stimulation is also efficient in treating medically refractory epilepsy. Although the therapeutic mechanisms involve different activated positions, the neurotransmitters generated by the electrical stimulation are similar. It has been demonstrated that both ANT-HFS and EA at acupoints are related to an imbalance between the excitatory [glutamate (Glu), aspartate (Asp)] and inhibitory [GABA, glycine (Gly) and taurine (Tau)] neuronal transmitters. We, therefore, hypothesize that outcome of EA at acupoints can predict the therapeutic effect of ANT-HFS.