New brain implant may stop seizures

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 27 (UPI) -- A stimulator being tested in a U.S. multicenter trial can target specific areas of the brain and may be prevent epileptic seizures before they start.

The device is called the Responsive Neurostimulator System and was developed by NeuroPace, based in Mountain View, Calif.

After extensive testing to determine which area of the brain is damaged, the device is nested in a cavity carved into the bone of the skull and battery-powered electrodes are placed in the parts of the brain that have been identified.

A computer chip within the RNS monitors the patient's brain waves, and when it senses the build-up of electrical energy that precedes a seizure, it stimulates the affected area and disrupts the impending seizure pattern.

"The exciting thing about this device is that, unlike other stimulators on the market, it only sends electricity to a specific area of the brain and only when it is needed," said Christopher Skidmore, head of the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, study site.

The current study will involved 240 subjects. Participants must be between 18 and 70 years of age, have at least three seizures a month, and have epilepsy that stems from no more than two parts of their brain and has not been controlled by at least two different types of medication. To apply, go to www.seizurestudy.com or call 1-866-904-6630.