Brain Stimulation Treatments in Epilepsy: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Advances

Overview

Journal Biomed J

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2021 Sep 5

PMID 34482013

Citations 13

Authors

Thomas J Foutz

Michael Wong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Drug-resistant epilepsy, characterized by ongoing seizures despite appropriate trials of anti-seizure medications, affects approximately one-third of people with epilepsy. Brain stimulation has recently become available as an alternative treatment option to reduce symptomatic seizures in short and long-term follow-up studies. Several questions remain on how to optimally develop patient-specific treatments and manage therapy over the long term. This review aims to discuss the clinical use and mechanisms of action of Responsive Neural Stimulation and Deep Brain Stimulation in the treatment of epilepsy and highlight recent advances that may both improve outcomes and present new challenges. Finally, a rational approach to device selection is presented based on current mechanistic understanding, clinical evidence, and device features.

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