Responsive Cortical Stimulation -- A New Epilepsy Treatment
Responsive Cortical Stimulation -- A New Epilepsy Treatment
On November 14, 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the NeuroPace RNS® System (NeuroPace; Mountain View, California) for the adjunctive treatment of adults with partial seizures that are uncontrolled despite the use of 2 or more antiepileptic drugs and who have no more than 2 epileptic foci. National Epilepsy Awareness Month in November also saw the approval of eslicarbazepine (Aptiom®), a once-daily antiepileptic drug. These 2 new FDA approvals are the most important "Practice Changers of 2013"
Antiseizure drugs are the mainstays of epilepsy treatment, but many patients require additional options. The NeuroPace RNS (responsive neurostimulator) System is the first new device available to people with intractable partial epilepsy since the 1997 FDA approval of the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS). To date, the VNS has been implanted in tens of thousands of people with a variety of seizure types. Other devices under development for intractable epilepsy include stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, which has been approved in Europe (but not in the United States), and trigeminal nerve stimulation, which has yet to show convincing antiepileptic benefits. A recent Medscape article highlighted upcoming options in neurostimulation.
What's New in Epilepsy?
On November 14, 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the NeuroPace RNS® System (NeuroPace; Mountain View, California) for the adjunctive treatment of adults with partial seizures that are uncontrolled despite the use of 2 or more antiepileptic drugs and who have no more than 2 epileptic foci. National Epilepsy Awareness Month in November also saw the approval of eslicarbazepine (Aptiom®), a once-daily antiepileptic drug. These 2 new FDA approvals are the most important "Practice Changers of 2013"
A New World of Devices
Antiseizure drugs are the mainstays of epilepsy treatment, but many patients require additional options. The NeuroPace RNS (responsive neurostimulator) System is the first new device available to people with intractable partial epilepsy since the 1997 FDA approval of the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS). To date, the VNS has been implanted in tens of thousands of people with a variety of seizure types. Other devices under development for intractable epilepsy include stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, which has been approved in Europe (but not in the United States), and trigeminal nerve stimulation, which has yet to show convincing antiepileptic benefits. A recent Medscape article highlighted upcoming options in neurostimulation.
Source...