Have you tried zapping it? Neuromodulatory treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy

One-third of the 50 million people worldwide who experience epilepsy do not respond to pharmacological treatment. For some of these patients, surgically removing the part of their brain that is misfiring can be a curative treatment. However, neurotechnology and neuromodulation are providing an alternate treatment route for patients. Treatments such as vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and responsive neurostimulation use varying methods to send electrical impulses to the brain or the epileptic foci in order to treat seizures. Advancements in technology, research, and neuromodulatory therapies, outlined here, hold promise for patients afflicted with refractory epilepsy.