1. Youth Weigh In: Views on Advanced Neurotechnology for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.
- Author
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Udwadia, Farhad R., McDonald, Patrick J., Connolly, Mary B., Hrincu, Viorica, and Illes, Judy
- Subjects
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EPILEPSY , *NEURAL stimulation , *VAGUS nerve , *SEMI-structured interviews , *COMPARATIVE method , *TEMPORAL lobectomy - Abstract
Background: Epilepsy affects over 500,000 children in North America of whom 30% have drug-resistant epilepsy. Advancements with neurotechnologies show promising benefits, but the perceptions of these procedures by youth is unknown. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 10 youth in British Columbia, Canada who underwent procedures for drug-resistant epilepsy involving different forms of neurotechnology (subdural grids, vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation). Interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative qualitative method. Results: Four major thematic categories emerged from the interviews. Treatment values, impact of the disorder, personal context, and impact of neurotechnology. Conclusions: Besides the predictable goal of seizure reduction, a desire for autonomy and the importance of trust in the medical team emerged as dominant values within the 4 thematic categories that were explicit to the use of new neurotechnologies for the management of drug-resistant epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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