Implanted Device for Predicting Seizures
Epilepsy has been called “the sacred disease” in antiquity, and “the falling disease” in the Middle Ages, but it actually is not a disease at all, but rather a grab bag of odd pathologies and mostly unknown causes. Brain mapping of molecular pathways promises to sort out the vagaries of seizures, but in the meantime, NeuroVista Corp. (Seattle, WA) has developed an early warning technology for onset. The system consists of one component implanted between the skull and brain, another implanted in the chest, and a handheld device that receives a signal and flashes the warning. Tests showed its accuracy at 65%. Even at that level, epileptics stand much closer to normal functioning, and further possibilities exist for sorting out this ancient mystery. MORE
Image Credit: GizMag.com and NeuroVista Corp.