Protecting the Brain From Epileptic Seizures by Listening to the Heart

Abstract

Epilepsy is a disorder in which abnormal electrical signals between brain cells lead to seizures. Seizures can cause people to shake, blank out, or even lose consciousness. When medications cannot prevent seizures and there is no brain area that can be removed to solve the problem, a procedure implanting a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) can be an option. VNS machines send electrical pulses up to the brain through a major nerve connecting the brain to the rest of the body—the vagus nerve. These signals calm the brain down, making intense seizures less likely. Since a racing heartbeat often comes before intense seizures, new cardiac VNS machines that listen to a patient’s heart can send a burst of electricity to calm the brain down during a seizure. This article reviews how this revolutionary technology works, compares it to previous types of VNS and describes how it could help people who suffer from epilepsy.