In Switzerland, scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Epfl) are developing a new type of brain implant for the treatment of epilepsy, involving minimally invasive solutions. Unlike other devices available on the market, the equipment enters through a small hole and “opens”, like a flower, when it reaches the cerebral cortex. So, the coverage area is significantly larger than the required size of the cut (incision).
This week, the Epfl team of researchers published the first round of tests involving the new implant for epilepsy in the journal Science Robotics. The article describes the experiment with the array of electrodes implanted in the brain of a mini-pig. So far, there is no prediction for the start of human testing.
Lack of treatments for patients with severe epilepsy
To understand epilepsy, it is worth pointing out that the neurological condition alters the functioning of the brain, in episodes that can last from seconds to minutes. During this interval, some brain cells enter a hyperexcitable state, causing clinical manifestations such as seizures.
According to the Ministry of Health, about 0.5% to 1% of the world’s population suffers from some degree of epilepsy. For most patients, the drugs already available manage to control the condition, which goes into remission. However, about 20% to 30% resist “common” treatments.
For this very specific group, different research fronts seek new treatments. In Brazil, a trend that is gaining strength is the use of medicinal cannabis. On another front, there is intracranial electrical stimulation, through electrodes implanted in the brain. This is the case of the implant developed by the Swiss. Both are quite promising, when well prescribed.
How does the implant that could change the control of epilepsy work?
Inspired by soft robotics, which is based on the way living organisms move in the environment, scientists are developing a new brain implant for the treatment of severe epilepsy.
In the Swiss case, the inspiration was the flower. At the bud stage, it is very similar to a thin tube. As the petals open, the vegetable occupies a larger surface. Another possible image is that of a tree with its roots. “The soft robotics community has been very interested in this mechanism (of implant activity) because it was bioinspired,” explains Sukho Song, lead author of the study, in a statement.
To understand the concept in practice, the scientists explain that the implant, at the time of surgery, was designed to fit into a 2-centimeter hole in the skull. After this stage, one at a time, its six spiral “arms” “open”, occupying a region of 4 cm. Today, most devices of this type require drilling a hole of its own size.
“Minimally invasive neurotechnologies are essential approaches to offer efficient and personalized therapies for the patient”, adds Stephanie Lacour, another scientist involved in the study.
In the future, if human trials are successful, the new set of cortical electrodes should stimulate, record and monitor electrical activity in the brains of patients suffering from conditions such as epilepsy. When necessary, in times of crisis, electrical stimulation will be triggered, avoiding symptoms and complications.
Source: Science Robotics, Epfl e Ministry of Health
