Deep Brain Stimulation: Another Solution to Epilepsy?

Epilepsy affects one in every 100 people. Fortunately, there are drugs available to control epileptic seizures.  Unfortunately, these drugs only treat approximately 2/3 of the epileptic population. This leaves a significant amount of patients in need of alternative treatment methods.

Enter Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a technology already used to treat over 70,000 patients with Parkinson’s disease and other disorders such as epilepsy. Recently, a study was conducted by Stanford’s Kevin D. Graber & Robert S. Fisher on treating epileptic patients with DBS.  The researchers used a device similar to a pacemaker to deliver precise measurements and timed electrical pulses to the brain. Electrodes were placed in the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (where epileptic seizures are commonly triggered). Their population consisted of 110 patients whose seizures were untreatable with drugs and were suffering from an average of 20 seizures per month. Devices were implanted in all participants. For the first 3 months, half of the devices were on and half were off, then both were on for the following 3 months.

Results

3 months

Device 1 on:  40% fewer seizures than before implantation

Device 2 off: 14.5% fewer seizures (placebo effect)

1 Year

Device 1 on: 41%

Device 2 on (9 months): 41%

2 Years

Device 1 & 2: 56%

It is evident this procedure is effective in treating epileptics who are untreatable pharmacologically. However, there are implications and risks involved in the process.  Short-term effects include infection at implantation sight and tingling sensations. The long-term effects are unknown but are not predicted to be particularly damaging. Considering the percentage reduction of seizures after 9 months, this procedure may be worthwhile to many patients.

In March 2010, the FDA approved the usage of DBS for seizure patients untreatable with drugs.

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