Hope for New Epilepsy Treatment

An experimental device that stimulates a nerve in the forehead may offer a safe and effective way to control hard-to-treat epilepsy. Researchers at UCLA studied 50 patients who experienced drug-resistant seizures. Using the device, subjects were able to stimulate the trigeminal nerve with electrical pulses. This caused further electrical activity in the brain and reduced seizure activity by about 40 percent. The external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation device is still experimental and has not yet been approved by the FDA. If further trials demonstrate continued safety and effectiveness, it may become an option for people shoes seizures have not responded to medication.