What Is Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation?
Brain-responsive neurostimulation is a type of monitoring doctors use to prevent seizures caused by epilepsy. This type of stimulation responds to your brain's electrical activity to stop a seizure before it happens.
Brain-responsive neurostimulation prevents seizures by:
- monitoring the electrical activity in your brain at all times,
- detecting any unusual activity in your brain that may lead to a seizure, and
- delivering a small electrical pulse to your brain to prevent a seizure from happening.
Brain-responsive neurostimulation sends electrical pulses to your brain milliseconds after it detects any unusual brain activity that could cause a seizure. In this way, it gives you treatment when you need it--similar to how pacemakers work in the heart.
Responsive neurostimulation is sometimes called deep brain stimulation. The device that monitors your brain's activity and sends pulses is called RNS® or the Neuropace RNS® System.
Who Should Get This Treatment?
Brain-responsive neurostimulation is best for adults who've tried at least two anti-seizure medications but still get seizures often. Your seizures should also be serious and interfere with your daily activities.
How Successful is Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation?
Many people have fewer seizures after having brain-responsive neurostimulation.
The RNS® System continues to work better over time:
- After three years, most patients will have 60 percent fewer seizures.
- After seven years, most patients will have 72 percent fewer seizures.
Will Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation Make My Seizures Go Away Permanently?
No. RNS® won't make your seizures go away completely. But many people have at least a couple months without having any seizures at all.
Some people don't have seizures for a year or longer after having RNS®.
Find a NeuroPace RNS Specialist
Surgery
For most types of epilepsy surgery, brain surgeons need to remove the part of your brain that's causing seizures. But with brain-responsive neurostimulation, doctors don't need to remove part of your brain or any brain tissue. Instead, your doctor will implant the Neuropace device into the part of your brain that's causing seizures.
The Neuropace device can then release an electrical pulse to that part of your brain to stop a seizure before it starts.
The Neuropace device is tiny. It also can't be seen once it's implanted.
RNS® is also reversible. Your doctor can turn the device off. You can also have surgery to remove the device if you would like. But you don't have to get the device surgically removed once you stop using it. That's because it's safe to leave the RNS® device inside your brain tissue.
Neuropace Surgery Recovery
Most patients stay in the hospital for one to two days after having surgery. You should be able to get back to most of your regular activities once you return home.
After the RNS® device is implanted, no one will be able to tell you have it because they won't be able to see it.
Next Steps
You can make an appointment with a neurologist if you've tried at least two anti-seizure medications but still get seizures.
