World-First Minimally Invasive Brain “Pacemaker”

Image credit: Precisis

For people living with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, electrical stimulation of the brain is a promising recent approach to treating seizures.

In a world first, medtech Precisis’ “brain pacemaker” uses electrodes implanted under the scalp over the epileptic focus in the brain, suppressing seizures in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.

The Epicranial Application of Stimulation Electrodes for Epilepsy (EASEE) system provides stimulation via high-frequency pulses every two minutes to create a disruptive effect that prevents seizures, together with a 20-minute daily application of continual current which helps regulate hyperactive brain regions longer-term.

The minimally-invasive system means implantation of the electrodes does not require any contact with brain tissue.

A recent study across 33 patients showed 53 percent of patients showed a complete response following six months of treatment with the device (defined as a reduction in seizure frequency of at least 50 percent below baseline), and 84 percent of patients demonstrated some form of response.

“Results from this ground-breaking study suggest that focal cortex stimulation with an epicranial electrode array may offer a safe and effective new treatment option for patients with drug-refractory focal epilepsy,” said the study’s principal investigator, Professor Andreas Schulze-Bonhage in a press statement.

“An effective reduction in seizure frequency suggests that focal cortex stimulation represents a promising treatment option for patients with a predominant epileptical focus.”

Check out the full statement from Precisis for further details, or refer to the Journal of the American Medical Association for the published research.