The Food and Drug Administration has approved a deep brain stimulation system that has been shown to reduce seizures in a select group of patients with epilepsy.
- Medtronics DBS System for Epilepsy has been cleared as adjunct treatment for patients with partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalization.
- The system is only indicated for patients who have not responded to 3 or more antiepileptic drugs and who have experienced an average of 6 or more seizures each month for the last 3 months.
- The FDA approval also stipulates that the patients’ seizures be no more than 30 days apart.
- The DBS System includes a pulse generator that is implanted in a patient’s chest and 2 lead wires implanted in the brain.
Voelker R. Electrical stimulation for epilepsy. JAMA; 2018;319(21):2164.
