A recent study conducted by researchers at the US Mayo Clinic has shown the ability to detect changes in brain activity among drug-resistant epilepsy patients within approximately 18 minutes of starting deep brain stimulation, results that may help develop faster methods to determine appropriate treatment settings for each patient.
The institution's website reported on Wednesday that the study, published in the journal iScience, investigated changes in brain activity when electrical stimulation is applied to patients whose seizures do not respond adequately to medication.
Treatment Mechanisms and Assessment
Deep brain electrical stimulation relies on sending electrical pulses through electrodes implanted in specific brain regions, with the aim of modifying neural activity and reducing seizures in some patients. It is used in selected cases when medications fail to control epilepsy.
Researchers clarified that adjusting the settings of this treatment may take time to monitor the patient's response, as doctors typically rely on tracking changes in the number and frequency of seizures. However, the study showed the possibility of measuring changes in brain activity within a short period after starting stimulation, providing early indicators of response.
Comparative Results and Neural Effects
The team compared two methods of applying electrical pulses and observed differences in communication patterns between brain regions, including the thalamus, a deep region that plays a role in transmitting neural information and regulating various brain functions.
The results suggest that measuring early neural changes may help understand the brain's response to stimulation, and may potentially allow for faster and more personalized determination of appropriate treatment settings in the future, rather than relying solely on monitoring seizures over long periods.
Nature of the Disease and Need for Further Research
The study provides new indicators for understanding the effect of deep brain electrical stimulation in drug-resistant epilepsy patients, while the need for further research remains to evaluate the accuracy of these indicators and the potential to utilize them in improving treatment decisions.
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease affecting the brain, causing a recurring predisposition to seizures resulting from abnormal and sudden electrical activity in brain cells.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)