New Solution For Epilepsy Patients:Medical Device Now Installed For Tracking Brain Activity and Sense Something Awry

The device sits under a patient's skull and tracks brain activity.Courtesy of NeuroPace

Imagine a tiny computer embedded under your scalp that's constantly tracking your brain activity and zapping you when it senses something awry.

That might sound like science fiction, but a medical device that does that was just approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an option for people with epilepsy that's resistant to treatment with drugs.

Seizures happen when groups of neurons fire abnormally. The new device, called theRNS Stimulator, is able to detect these problems in the brain and fire electrical signals through implanted wires to stop a seizure from happening.

Implants to treat neurological problems aren't completely new. They're already being used to treat illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and a condition called dystonia. Neurologists also use another electronic approach called vagal nerve stimulation to treat some forms of epilepsy.

But unlike VNS devices, the RNS Stimulator senses when seizures are about to occur and nips them at the source. The most common problems in clinical tests of the device were infections at the implant site and batteries that ran down too soon.


source:npr