ABSTRACT
DBS to date has used high frequency (> 100 Hz) constant electrical stimulation to modulate brain function. While this has worked remarkably well for Parkinson’s disease and tremor (although certainly not ideally, since incomplete effectiveness and side effects are common), for similar effi cacy in epilepsy and other disorders it appears that closed-loop feedback will be advantageous. Using the brain’s electrical activity (and changes in focal electrical activity that signal abnormal brain function) to guide DBS has motivated one company to develop a DBS system for refractory epilepsy which incorporates electrode(s) that continuously record brain electrical activity in order to optimize the stimulation for preventing seizures [Fig. 2].
