Written by Jahnavi Sarma |Updated : February 14, 2022 1:31 PM IST
Epilepsy is a debilitating neurological condition that can affect not only adults but also children. It can severely affect the quality of life. Timely treatment can help in controlling the effects of this disease. However, almost 80 per cent of epileptic patients do not respond to treatment. Many children also have a drug resistant form of epilepsy that can have a serious adverse effect on their da-to-day life. Thankfully, new research from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey says that a brain implant that helps control drug-resistant epilepsy in adult patients can also be safely used on children who experience unrelenting seizures. This is the first study, which looks at the responsive neurostimulation (RNS) system in children. The journal Neurosurgery published this study. The US Food and Drug Administration approves this for adult patients. On this International Epilepsy Day, let us take a look at what this procedure is all about.
Researchers looked at 35 children and young adults, between the ages of 3 years 25 years. They all had drug-resistant epilepsy and were treated with RNS. They saw that 84 per cent of the patients saw a drastic reduction in disabling seizures. This included 18 per cent who had a reduction of more than 90 per cent and six per cent who achieved complete freedom from seizures. One of the subjects was just three years old and the youngest reported patient to undergo RNS implantation.
Researchers say that the findings of this study suggest that responsive neurostimulation is an effective off-label surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in carefully selected pediatric patients. But they also add that more research is needed to verify the long-term efficacy and safety of the procedure and to determine which patients will benefit most from it.
During the procedure, a surgeon will remove a part of the skull to implant the device, which is very similar to a heart pacemaker. This device sends electrical charges directly to the brain and stimulates it to prevent seizures. This implant works by monitoring brainwave activity to detect developing seizures. It can sense unusual electrical activity that may trigger seizures. Once it detects this signal, it delivers small pulses of stimulation to help the brainwaves return to normal. RNS is now being increasingly used in pediatric centers to help control seizures.
Researchers, however, warn that all the benefits and potential side effects on the patient must be considered based on the variable skull development in individual patients. Variability in skull growth and thickness should be considered on a case-by-case basis, and the potential benefits of neuromodulation weighed against the possibility of complications for an individual patient.
It may cause complications in very young children and there may be a risk related to ongoing skull growth. Another downside pointed by scientists is the battery life of the monitor. The expected battery life for RNS is around five to nine years. This could mean several more skull surgeries for battery replacement.
The findings suggest that RNS is an effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment. It can significantly reduce the number of disabling seizures in children with epilepsy. It can give children a life free of the use of daily medications and periodic blood tests.
According to researchers, children exhibit rapid skull growth within the first two years of life and reach about 90 per cent of adult skull volume by around the age of eight years. During the study, only three patients experienced complications, which required additional surgery. None of these complications involved the younger children and was noticed only in young adults.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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