A UK teenager with severe epilepsy has become the first person in the world to receive a implant A brain stimulator designed to control seizures. Oran Knowlson, 13, suffered up to 300 epileptic seizures a day. Now a neurostimulator has been placed under his skull that sends electrical signals deep into the brain, reducing his daytime seizures by 80%. The Picostim neurotransmitter is made by British company Amber Therapeutics. During surgery, two electrodes were inserted deep into the brain, reaching the thalamus. The wires, which needed to be placed with a precision of less than a millimetre, were connected to the neurostimulator. This 3.5cm square, 0.6cm thick device was placed in a hollow in the skull where bone had been removed and anchored with screws. The device can be recharged through portable headphones. The mother says the boy has been happier, more talkative and has had a better quality of life since receiving the treatment.
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