UK Boy First to Receive Deep Brain Neurostimulator to Treat Epilepsy

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Facts

  • Eight months after being fitted with a first-of-its-kind deep brain implant, 13-year-old Oran Knowlson has seen an 80% reduction in daytime seizures — showing promise for the use of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of severe epilepsy.1
  • A surgical team at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London inserted two electrodes deep into Oran's brain, which were then connected to a neurotransmitter anchored inside of his skull that sends electrical signals to the brain. The device can be recharged using wearable headphones.2
  • Deep brain stimulation devices are usually implanted in the chest of a patient, with wires running up into the brain. This poses a problem in cases of pediatric epilepsy, as the device runs the risk of breaking or becoming inoperative as the child grows.3
  • Oran is part of the Children's Adaptive Deep brain stimulation for Epilepsy Trial ('CADET'), a project that includes the University College London, King's College Hospital, and the University of Oxford. The researchers hope to increase the number of children in the trial to 22.1
  • Martin Tisdall, head of the surgical team, said that the procedure gave Oran 'his independence back.' Tisdall says that deep brain stimulation gives hope to those with hard-to-treat forms of epilepsy, which often make normal life impossible.2
  • Oran reportedly first started to experience daily seizures after his third birthday and requires around-the-clock care. Justine says the implant has greatly increased her son's quality of life4

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Guardian, 3Evening Standard and 4Independent.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by New York Post. Neurostimulation through implants is an exciting new avenue for the treatment of epilepsy and a host of other neurological and mental conditions. By targeting areas of the brain associated with certain ailments, researchers have seen that sending electrical impulses can lessen a whole host of symptoms. This is an exciting new field that warrants much further study.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Miamiherald. While this is a promising development, there is growing concern about the stability of the biomedical industry in these experimental endeavors. One woman involved in a study like this one needed to get an epilepsy implant removed after the company that built it went bankrupt, which goes to show that these breakthroughs are only step one. We need to ensure that there is enough backing and support to keep these life-saving innovations viable.

Predictions