Abstract

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which functions within the brain become abnormal causing seizures, atypical behavior, and loss of consciousness. In epilepsy, the brain’s electrical rhythms are disrupted by sudden synchronized bursts of electrical energy that affect their consciousness, movements, and sensations. Epilepsy is caused by various factors including genetic influence, head trauma, prenatal injury, etc. Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic brain disorders which affects people of all ages. More than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy; nearly 80% of them live in low- and middle-income countries. People with epilepsy frequently suffer from stigma and discrimination. In many parts of this world, the true nature of epilepsy has been misinterpreted by myths, and fear of people. Epilepsy accompanies many other life-threatening brain disorders and this is considered extremely dangerous because most of the time its cause is not known. When treating epilepsy, it is important to first diagnose it with the help of an electroencephalogram(EEG) and later find which part of the brain(frontal, parietal, temporal, or occipital) epilepsy affects the most using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging(fMRI). Of all types of epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common (60%). Based on the results from the fMRI, the treatment plan can be determined. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is one of the new findings for epilepsy treatment. In general, VNS efficacy becomes optimal around the sixth month of treatment and a 50–100 % seizure frequency reduction is achieved in approximately 45–65 % of the patients. VNS therapy uses the VNS system, which is made up of a generator (pacemaker-like device), a lead (thin-flexible wire), and a hand-held magnet. VNS also has potential side effects which include: deterioration of figural memory, and disruption in sleep patterns (decrease in REM sleep). We hope to reduce the side effects produced by the VNS by improving the safety of implantable VNS devices and also decrease its effect on sleeping patterns and figural memory deterioration.