Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant epilepsy

Excerpt: For many patients with epilepsy, pharmacologic therapy is effective at achieving remission, which is defined as five or more years without a seizure while on medication. When drugs fail to control the disease, other treatment options include neurosurgery, vagus nerve stimulation, and a ketogenic diet (high fat, low carbohydrate). However, approximately 30% of patients continue to have seizures or experience drug-related side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, and weight gain. Another approach under evaluation for treatment-resistant epilepsy is deep brain stimulation (DBS) with electrical current, a technique that has become an accepted treatment for movement-related disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor...