New medical technology offers lifeline for epilepsy sufferers

MedTech & Diagnostics News: A non-invasive medical technology for epilepsy is breathing new life into individuals burdened by ongoing seizures.

Stephenie Evans, who battled seizures since 2007, had exhausted conventional avenues, feeling like she was merely “existing, not living. The number of seizures I had completely impacted my quality of life and happiness. I didn’t have a life anymore.”

Swinburne University of Technology has developed a technology-driven approach that circumvents the risks and costs associated with invasive methods. The cutting-edge technique involves pinpointing problematic areas in the brain with an unmatched level of precision, ensuring the safety and comfort of patients.

Current invasive treatments pose a myriad of risks, including infection, bleeding, and stroke. Moreover, the cost of a single depth electrode array can exceed $1,000, and even then, its efficacy in pinpointing the precise brain region causing the seizures remains uncertain.

Swinburne’s neuroimaging team employed an approach that is 20 times more sensitive than standard hospital recordings, utilising over 400 sensor points across the head surface. This safe and non-invasive method allows for the accurate localisation of abnormal brain waves, a crucial step towards effective treatment.

Ms Evans, who endured a near-fatal car crash due to a seizure, became a beneficiary of this novel technology. The results of her study were compelling enough to convince the medical team that a particular cavernoma in the frontal region of her brain warranted surgical removal.

Professor Chris Plummer, Clinical Neurologist and Swinburne researcher, emphasised the life-altering potential of this technology.

“Patients with uncontrolled seizures are typically taking multiple types of medications, each carrying its own set of side effects. Epilepsy surgery, often a last resort, remains vastly underused due to the difficulty in pinpointing the culprit regions in the brain. Swinburne’s advanced brain wave analysis techniques are changing this landscape, offering a transformative path forward,” he explained.

For Ms Evans, more than two years after her surgery, the impact has been nothing short of transformative. She can now engage in daily activities that were once beyond her reach, from driving and working to traveling and embracing independence.

The non-invasive investigations for epilepsy at Swinburne University of Technology represent a beacon of hope for the estimated 12,000 Australians diagnosed with epilepsy each year.

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