DBS Neurostim Device Cuts Seizures by 80%

Image credit: Great Ormond Street Hospital

A UK teen, the first patient in a clinical trial using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat epilepsy, has experienced an 80 percent drop in daytime seizures.

The patient, Oran, has a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and has previously required resuscitation following severe epileptic seizures.

In October last year, he became the first child in the UK to be implanted with Amber Therapeutics’ DBS device called the Picostim, which is powered with DyNeuMo-1 software.

Unlike other DBS devices which are implanted on the chest, Picostim is mounted on the skull and attached to electrodes deep within the brain to help cut seizure activity.

The Picostim device can also be recharged via wearable headphones, meaning ongoing replacement surgery is not necessary.

“Deep brain stimulation brings us closer than ever before to stopping epileptic seizures for patients who have very limited effective treatment options,” said paediatric neurosurgeon, Martin Tisdall in a story with University College London, sponsors of the clinical trial.

“We are excited to build the evidence base to demonstrate the ability of deep brain stimulation to treat paediatric epilepsy and hope in years to come it will be a standard treatment we can offer.”

Oran’s mother, Justine added: “[In the past] as seizures became more severe, we lost more and more of Oran.”

““We’ve tried everything, but this is the first real shot we’ve been given in years, there has been no ‘what next’ until now.”

For more information, check out this story via University College London.