Brain implant that stops seizures is life-changing for some epilepsy patients
KSL.com • • health
Key Points:
- Whitney Wilkinson, diagnosed with epilepsy at age 12, has experienced significant improvement after receiving a responsive neurostimulator brain implant five years ago, which detects and stops seizures within milliseconds without side effects.
- Wilkinson is among 100 patients treated with this device through Intermountain Health, which allows data transfer to doctors for ongoing monitoring and treatment optimization.
- The neurostimulator, approved for focal epilepsy cases unresponsive to medication, has reduced seizures by an average of 75% and is considered a promising alternative to traditional treatments like medication or diet changes.
- The implant requires surgical placement with a week-long hospital stay initially, and replacement surgery every 10 years with a shorter hospital stay, offering many patients improved quality of life and increased independence.
- Intermountain Healthcare neurologist Jeffrey Bigelow highlights ongoing advances in epilepsy treatment, emphasizing the potential for more patients to benefit from neurostimulation and the growing understanding of seizure prediction and brain response.
