In 1997, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a treatment called Vagus Nerve Stimulation for some seizure patients. It is designed for adults and young people who have partial seizures that are not controlled in other ways.
In this treatment, electrical energy enters the brain through the vagus nerve in the neck. The electricity comes from a small power supply placed under the skin in the chest. Medical experts set the device to provide a small amount of energy every few minutes. The patient can also send a few seconds of energy through the nerve if he or she feels that a seizure is near. This has been known to stop a seizure.
The Epilepsy Foundation says people using Vagus Nerve Stimulation still must take anti-seizure medicines. But the amount may decrease as the treatment continues.
Another treatment is an operation to remove the part of the brain suspected of causing epileptic seizures. This is done only when medicines fail to control the disorder. One requirement for the operation is that doctors be able to remove the suspected area without damaging speech, memory or other abilities.
Other kinds of operations can block the spread of electrical activity in the brain. The Epilepsy Foundation says doctors are performing more operations now because new information has increased their safety. Still, some people get no help from operations and others continue to need medication for their seizures.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25