It's estimated that as many as one in five people with Epilepsy can't control their seizures with medication. Imagine how that would disrupt your daily routine not knowing if a seizure might come at any moment.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic and some other selected sites are testing a new device they say can sense that a seizure is coming and stop it before it hits. It's called Neuropace, and it's still experimental.
It could provide dramatic relief for Epilepsy patients who don't respond to medication and are high risk for major surgery. The first step in this treatment is just waiting for a seizure because doctors have to catch it in action to pinpoint where in the brain it's coming from. When this is discovered, that's where the device will be implanted.
"It's quite extraordinary. We have a small computer chip that we can plant in the skull that will actually detect seizures successfully," says Dr. Anthony Murro, a neurologist.
"The potential is incredible. If it works as well as we hope it works, it could really revolutionize Epilepsy surgery," says Dr. Joseph Smith, a neurosurgeon.
The Neuropace procedure is being tested in 12 clinics across the country. None in Texas, but all are looking for qualified candidates to take part in the research. If you're interested in finding out more about the Neuropace, you can ( click here).
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