- RNS System
RNS System is a
deep brain stimulation treatment forepilepsy patients. The RNS system uses the method ofvagus nerve stimulation via abrain pacemaker and aneurostimulator . The neurostimulator is a device that is implanted within the skull by a study physician. The device is powered by a battery and contains acomputer chip that detects and stores a record of the brain’s electrical activity. When the device identifies seizure activity, it attempts to suppress the seizure by sending electrical stimulation through the leads to a small part of the brain. This type of treatment is called "responsive stimulation". The study physician has a programmer device while the patient has a data transmitter to provide information from his or her neurostimulator to the study physician.The physician-operated programmer communicates with the RNS neurostimulator via a hand-held wand. The study physician uses the programmer to look at information stored in the device about the patient’s detections and stimulations. The study physician can also look at records of actual brain electrical activity. This information helps the study physician select the best detection and stimulation settings for a particular patient. The programmer is then used to program the detection and stimulation settings in the neurostimulator.
The data transmitter (or DTR) is used by the patient to provide information to the study physician. Patients use a wand to transfer information from the neurostimulator to the DTR. Patients then connect the DTR to a phone line and information is provided to his or her study physician via a protected website. The study physician is then able to view the response to the stimulation and decide on the best seizure detection and stimulation settings for the patient.
The system is implanted by a study physician during a two- to five-hour procedure that occurs while the patient is asleep. Two to four leads are placed in the brain where the seizures start. Then the neurostimulator is placed in the skull. After the procedure, the patient will typically stay in the hospital one to three days.
The RNS system is currently being evaluated to determine how well it can reduce the frequency of uncontrolled seizures. The treatment is being studied for people with epilepsy in 28 clinical trial sites across the country. It is approved for use only in clinical research studies.
References
[http://www.seizurestudy.com/InvestigationalTreatment.html The RNS System]
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