23 Mar Responsive Nerve Stimulation
Roughly 3.4 million people in the United States alone suffer from the condition known as epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that triggers abnormal brain activity, resulting in seizures. While many people associate seizures with violent, uncontrolled shaking; other symptoms such as confusion, staring spells, and cognitive feelings such as anxiety and deja vu are also present. At Three Village Neurology, Dr. Bruno is a neurologist in Suffolk County that can help treat this condition. When traditional forms of management such as medication have failed to work, responsive nerve stimulation can be used to get your seizures under control to restore your quality of life.
What is Responsive Nerve Stimulation?
Responsive nerve stimulation, or RNS, is a form of treatment for seizures that was approved by the U.S. Drug and Food Administration in 2013. The RNS system allows patients to receive individualized treatment only when a seizure takes place. By performing the below three functions, the RNS system can aid in a patient’s quest of living a seizure-free life:
- Monitor brain waves at all times.
- Detect if abnormal brain activity will trigger a seizure
- Respond within milliseconds by administering small bursts of electrical stimulation. This stimulation will return brainwave activity to normal before the seizure can occur.
Administering Treatment
If responsive nerve stimulation is the path you’d like to go down to treat your epilepsy, surgery will be required to put the system in place. During the operation to input the RNS system, a stimulator is placed in the bone that covers the brain. Connected to the simulator are tiny wires that run to the specific areas of the brain where seizure activity will take place. Once the system is in place, the act of treatment will begin.
Benefits Of The RNS System
At Three Village Neurology, our team which includes a neurologist in Suffolk County, are experts in treating epilepsy. While medication is a treatment that is often prescribed, over 30% of people do not respond to it. Patients that do benefit from medication need to remember to take it daily, otherwise, its effects are rendered moot. That is why responsive nerve stimulation is so beneficial. The RNS system also only gets put into use right before a seizure is about to take place, meaning daily medication is not needed. Since this form of treatment was cleared by the FDA, 66% of people have had their seizures cut in half after using RNS for more than three years.
Neurologist in Suffolk County
Dealing with disorders that impact their neurological functionality can make people very uneasy. The team at Three Village Neurology understands this, which is why we do everything in our power to make the process as easy as possible. Dr. James Bruno specializes in the treatment of epilepsy and was even the recipient of the Extraordinary People in Care Award by the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island! When you require a neurologist in Suffolk County, do not hesitate to contact our team. We can provide responsive nerve stimulation to get your condition under control, so you can be relieved of constant seizures.