Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2025
10:51
Chronic Transcranial Electrical Stimulation and Intracortical Recording in Rats
Published on: May 11, 2018
8.9K
Using chronic recordings from a closed-loop neurostimulation system to capture seizures across multiple thalamic
Bornali Kundu1, Amir Arain2, Tyler Davis1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
|December 8, 2022
Summary
Responsive neurostimulation targeting the thalamus effectively controlled seizures in a patient with frontotemporal epilepsy. Chronic recordings revealed a temporally organized seizure network within the thalamus, highlighting a new therapeutic approach.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Epileptology
Background:
- Unilateral diffuse frontotemporal epilepsy presents complex seizure management challenges.
- Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) offers a potential therapeutic avenue for refractory epilepsy.
Observation:
- A patient with frontotemporal epilepsy received an RNS system with leads placed in the anterior and centromedian nucleus of the thalamus.
- Chronic recordings demonstrated that ictal activity in the centromedian nucleus consistently preceded that in the anterior nucleus, suggesting a thalamic seizure network.
Findings:
- Responsive neurostimulation targeting multiple thalamic nuclei led to the resolution of focal impaired awareness and secondarily generalized seizures.
- This case provides evidence of seizure activity originating from and propagating through thalamic nuclei.
Implications:
- Closed-loop neurostimulation of thalamic nuclei is a viable strategy for epilepsy treatment.
- Understanding thalamic seizure networks can inform future neuromodulation strategies for epilepsy.
