Developing an epilepsy treatment device

Research Fellow - Dr Alan Lai
Principal Investigator - Prof Mark Cook, Chair of Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne)
Principal Investigator - A/Prof David Grayden
Principal Investigator - Prof Peter Blamey
Principal Investigator - Prof Hugh McDermott
Principal Investigator - A/ Prof Chris Williams

Background

Approximately one per cent of the world’s population suffers from epilepsy and of these, 30-40 per cent have uncontrolled seizures despite medications. The majority of these medically refractory patients are unsuitable for surgery, the end result being a large, unmet need for alternative therapies.

People who are unable to control their seizures experience a drop in quality of life, often self-limiting their activities and social interactions, and there is an enormous financial cost of ongoing medical treatments and hospitalisations.

Our research

This project aims to develop a stimulator to suppress seizure activity in the brain.

A portable device is being constructed that is capable of monitoring the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes. If abnormal activity is detected, a therapeutic waveform will be delivered in order to stop the epileptic event. Such a device will offer new therapeutic solutions to many sufferers of epilepsy worldwide.

Collaborators

This project is being done in collaboration with St Vincent’s Hospital.

Funding

NH&MRC Development Grant