A Brain Implant Will Help Epileptics
People who suffer from serious epileptic seizures will be able to better control or even prevent them with a device directly implanted into the brain.
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
To put it plainly, the implanted device will release a chemical substance into the brain that will stop the seizure when detected. While the tests so far were conducted only on mice the results seem to be quite promising.
The brain is quite the complicated organ with dozens of billions of neurons organized in complex highly connected networks. The neurons send signals that are then picked up by their neighbors and thus spread through the brain. During an epileptic seizure, this process is disrupted and abnormal brain activity commences. The visible effects include temporary loss of consciousness, changes in behavior or how we react to feelings.
The treatment nowadays is usually done by drugs that suppress the seizures but don’t really solve the cause. And the drugs often have serious side effects and roughly 1 in 3 patients don’t react to treatment at all. It is precisely these cases where brain implants like Neuropace which was approved in 2013 by the US FDA to be used to may come in handy. This device works by transmitting electrical impulses when it detects a seizure.
The device developed by a team of British and French scientists is a bit different. When it detects a seizure it will use a so-called “ion pump” to send a neurotransmitter – a chemical substance used by the brain to transmit signals – straight to the source of the seizure. Plus the device is capable of changing the dose based on the seriousness of the situation. And because the device is using only neurotransmitters naturally found in the human brain they get quickly absorbed. The combination of low dosage and quick effectiveness could provide a large benefit compared to electrical stimulation implants.
*Sources:
- https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/08/implantable-brain-device-could-stop-epileptic-seizures-in-their-tracks/
- http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/8/eaau1291
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