Electronic implant offers hope for preventing epileptic seizures

Epileptic seizures can range in severity from a nuisance to a serious risk to life, and most people with epilepsy rely on drug treatments to keep their seizures under control. However these drugs often have serious side effects and in 30 per cent of cases are not effective. Better ways of understanding and controlling epilepsy are therefore being sought by medical researchers.

There are several distinct type of seizure, but in most cases brain cells begin to fire and signal to their neighbours to do likewise, producing a snowball effect that can affect consciousness and motor control. A team from Cambridge University’s Department of Engineering collaborated with two French institutions - the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines and INSERM - and used soft, flexible electronics in a implantable device that works inside the brain.

“These thin, organic films do minimal damage in the brain, and their electrical properties are well suited for the site applications, said Prof George Malliaras, who led the research.