Medical researchers continue searching for better ways to treat epilepsy. Every year, the American Epilepsy Society holds a meeting to discuss new findings and ideas about the disorder. In December of 2013, more than 4,800 people attended the conference in Washington, DC.
Researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine presented a study about a treatment called Stereotactic Laser Ablation, or SLA. The procedure has been proven to help control seizures in people suffering from extreme epilepsy.
SLA is a surgical operation aimed at preventing seizures. It is different from traditional epileptic surgeries because it protects more areas of the brain.
Traditional surgery requires large cuts through different parts of the brain. The cuts can result in severe memory loss. But SLA is done with a laser. And the researchers say it has prevented memory loss. Patients have a faster recovery time because the surgery is completed using lasers.
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved another treatment for epilepsy. It is called the NeuroPace RNS system. It was created to treat partial epilepsy through preventative measures. The manufacturer, NeuroPace, says the device is designed for use in patients aged 18 years and older.
Doctors surgically place the RNS system inside the brain of the patient. It operates on battery power. The RNS system can produce a short series of electrical bursts to the brain. The device is programmed to look for electrical activity in the brain that would interfere with normal operations. If the system identifies a problem, it produces bursts of electricity to normalize the brain before a seizure takes place.
The system uses a software program in a computer to communicate with the implanted RNS system. The program is also able to study the patient's brain activity.