Epilepsy treatment with responsive neurostimulation

Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) is a programmable device that reacts to brain waves, monitors the activity characteristic of seizures, and delivers light-stimulating impulses. It helps the brain waves return to normal and stops the attack. It is not necessary to constantly stimulate the brain in epilepsy, but it is essential to prevent these dangerous seizures. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and takes two to four hours. First, a neurosurgeon implants a device into the brain through a hole in the skull under the control of an MRI. And the electrodes are placed on the areas of the brain where the epileptogenic focus is located. When the electrodes detect the onset of an attack, the device produces tiny electrical impulses that reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures. The neurostimulator also takes and records an electrocorticogram (a graph of the brain's electrical activity). With the help of a programmer, your neurologist can view the nature of your brain activity in real time and reprogram the implant in a contactless way. For example, it will program the device to recognize the characteristics of your convulsive movement and react quickly by sending electrical stimulation to your brain to stop the seizure within milliseconds.