New Brain Pacemaker May Help Treat Epilepsy
| Thursday | 3rd January, 2019Summary:
Scientist`s have developed a wireless device that can stimulate the brain with electric current, delivering fine-tuned treatments to patients with diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson`s. The neurostimulator, also known as the WAND, works like a `pacemaker of the brain`, monitoring the brain`s electrical activity and delivers electrical stimulation.
These devices can be extremely effective at preventing seizures in patients with a variety of neurological conditions. However, the electronic signatures that precede a seizure can be extremely subtle, depending upon the impact, plus the frequency and the strength of the simulation can be equally touchy. Since it is a closed-loop -- meaning it can stimulate and record simultaneously, they can adjust these parameters in real-time.
Currently, deep brain stimulators either stop recording while delivering the electrical stimulation, or record at a different part of the brain from where the stimulation is applied --essentially measuring the small ripples at a different point in the pond from the splashing.
In order to deliver closed-loop stimulation-based therapies, which is a big goal for people treating Parkinson`s and epilepsy and a variety of neurological disorders, it is very important to both perform neural recordings and stimulation simultaneously, which currently no single commercial device does, researchers said.
Scientist`s have developed a wireless device that can stimulate the brain with electric current, delivering fine-tuned treatments to patients with diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson`s. The neurostimulator, also known as the WAND, works like a `pacemaker of the brain`, monitoring the brain`s electrical activity and delivers electrical stimulation.
These devices can be extremely effective at preventing seizures in patients with a variety of neurological conditions. However, the electronic signatures that precede a seizure can be extremely subtle, depending upon the impact, plus the frequency and the strength of the simulation can be equally touchy. Since it is a closed-loop -- meaning it can stimulate and record simultaneously, they can adjust these parameters in real-time.
Currently, deep brain stimulators either stop recording while delivering the electrical stimulation, or record at a different part of the brain from where the stimulation is applied --essentially measuring the small ripples at a different point in the pond from the splashing.
In order to deliver closed-loop stimulation-based therapies, which is a big goal for people treating Parkinson`s and epilepsy and a variety of neurological disorders, it is very important to both perform neural recordings and stimulation simultaneously, which currently no single commercial device does, researchers said.