Researchers at Mayo Clinic have identified measurable changes in brain activity within 18 minutes of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The findings, published in iScience, could eventually allow clinicians to determine effective stimulation settings much sooner than the months or years currently required for adjustments. The Food and Drug Administration has approved DBS as a therapy for certain patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, using electrical pulses delivered through implanted electrodes to reduce seizures.
From months of waiting to measurable signals
For epilepsy, determining whether DBS is effective can take months because seizure reduction does not appear immediately and seizures occur intermittently. The findings suggest that measurable changes in brain connectivity may provide an earlier, objective signal of the brain’s response to stimulation. Researchers are now investigating whether the measured brain responses are associated with long-term seizure reduction and clinical improvement.
Mayo Clinic has expanded this research beyond the nine participants in the published study. The team is exploring whether the information gathered could eventually be captured using less invasive methods. Researchers are also investigating how machine learning and artificial intelligence could help clinicians interpret brain signals and guide stimulation settings. Parker notes that any predictive algorithms would require prospective validation before clinical use.
Parker credits the patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who volunteered for the study while undergoing invasive brain monitoring. “The patients are the true heroes,” he says. “They’re volunteering their time to be part of these studies and helping create a path toward better care for patients in the future.” The research was funded in part by funds from the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF).