Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington used non-invasive techniques and advanced computational methods to measure electrical and magnetic signals generated by neural cells in the human brain to identify the functional networks responsible for seizure generation in children. who have epilepsy. This new method identifies those functional networks with high precision.
By identifying which parts of the brain are causing the seizures, they can be removed with brain surgery or removed with a laser. The test they are developing pinpoints exactly where the network that is developing epilepsy is. Currently, there is no clinical test to identify this area of the brain with high precision.
Seizures affect these people throughout their lives and have a significant impact on their normal development. Successful treatment of epilepsy by surgery or laser ablation early in life would provide a better outcome, as brains have high neural plasticity and can recover better after surgery than adult brains. This would help these children and future adults to live without seizures and have fewer comorbidities due to epilepsy.
This research is a prime example of how bioengineering can have a direct impact on the lives of patients.