Can brain pacemaker control seizures?

More than two and a half million people in the US have epilepsy. There are treatments, but they don't work for everyone.

UCLA researcher Dr. Chris DeGiorgio has a new approach, "What we're doing, we're stimulating branches of the nerve that come right under the eyebrow."

Jennifer Rees says an experimental "brain pacemaker" has made living with epilepsy easier, "Before I started using it, I was having about eight seizures a month. And now I'm having one to two."

Dr. DeGiorgio co-developed the device, "The idea is that it doesn't abort seizures, it prevents seizures."

It works by stimulating the trigeminal nerve that runs along either side of the face. Dr. DeGiorgio says, "By stimulating this nerve we are activating a center in the brain stem that's very important with inhibition of seizures."

Worn externally, the device consists of a pocket-size stimulator and electrodes that can be hidden under a hat. According to Dr. DeGiorgio, there are improvements in the works, "We are working on an implantable version, but we believe that this external system will be critical for any permanent system."

In the future, patients could "try out" the external system to see if it works, before going through surgery to have a permanent one implanted.

Jennifer's just happy to have another treatment option. "There are a lot of medications out these days and most people find one that they'll respond to. I'm, unfortunately, allergic to some of the ones that work best for me."

Taking control of her seizures means taking back control of her life.

The study was a pilot study with seven participants. Four of the seven had a 50 percent or more reduction in seizures.