Epilepsy, though not an incurable disease, causes a lot of inconvenience to patients. Moreover, according to statistics, about 30% of cases drug therapy may be ineffective, and medications must be taken regularly without missing any doses. Therefore, the development of new treatments is extremely important. And maybe this can help a special brain implant that has already proved its efficiency.
As the publication of Science Advances, a group of scientists from the University of Cambridge, school of mines of Paris and the National Institute of health and medical research of France came together to create “an electronic device for implantation in the brain, which can detect and prevent the development of epileptic seizures”. For starters, let’s understand the mechanisms of epilepsy. If to speak is simplified, it always starts with the activation of a certain area of the brain a neurotransmitter that affects neurons, triggering a chain reaction. Resulting in the hyperarousal, loss of control over the movement of limbs and so on.
The new implant consists of a thin organic film, does not cause rejection reactions. It comes with capsules a neurotransmitter to suppress pulse-excited neurons and electrodes that monitor brain activity and triggers the device in the event of attack. Naturally, the device must be placed in the brain, and more specifically, directly to the area, which begins the process of excitation of neurons.
The arrow points to the place in the hippocampus of the mouse brain, in which is placed the implant
During a series of experiments, researchers tested the device on mice. It turned out that seizures can be stopped with doses of less than 1% of the total amount loaded into the capsule. In addition, scientists believe that the neurotransmitter released from the device, an “exact copy” of the natural neurotransmitter responsible for the same function, so side effects (which, incidentally, was not fixed) will be minimal.
Now experts want to find out the long-term effects of the use neuroimplant mice on their cognitive and physiological functions and only after that we can talk about the beginning of the experiments involving human subjects.
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A brain implant has helped to cure epilepsy in mice
Vladimir Kuznetsov