Arresting epilepsy

A nerve-stimulation treatment for epilepsy developed at UCLA offers a potential new alternative for individuals unable to control their seizures with medication or surgery.

Developed by neuroscientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Valencia, California-based Advanced Bionics Corporation, trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) uses a “brain pacemaker” to stimulate a nerve involved in inhibiting seizures.

The trigeminal nerve extends into the brain from the face and forehead, and is known to play a role in seizure inhibition. The stimulator and electrodes used to transmit an electrical current to the nerve can be worn externally or implanted.

A study published in the July edition of the peer-reviewed journal Epilepsia reports that four of seven subjects who used an external stimulator for at least three months in a pilot human clinical trial enjoyed a 50 percent or better reduction in seizure frequency.

‘Most people with chronic epilepsy who have continuing seizures are drug-resistant,’ said Dr. Christopher DeGiorgio, vice chair and professor in residence of neurology at UCLA, and co-developer of TNS and lead author of the study. ‘In addition, anti-seizure drugs can have significant side effects on behaviour, thinking and alertness. Women taking anti-seizure drugs and their unborn children are at special risk because of the effect of these drugs on foetal growth and development.