- In a new study, scientists mapped lesions in the brain associated with epilepsy, identifying a brain circuit that can be targeted using brain stimulation.
- They said they hope their findings can help reduce the symptoms that accompany seizures.
- They added the brain mapping technique may also help predict whether people who have had a stroke might develop epilepsy.
It might be possible to use deep brain circuit stimulation to help control epilepsy and predict whether people who have had a stroke might develop the disease, according to a
In their research, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts scientists studied five datasets that included more than 1,500 people with brain lesions.
There were several different causes of the lesions, including stroke, trauma, and tumors.
That allowed researchers to look for common network connections associated with epilepsy across different regions of the brain and different types of brain damage.
The researchers compared locations of brain damage in those with epilepsy to those without the disease.
The scientists reported that lesions associated with epilepsy were located throughout the brain. However, they shared a common network.
The scientists noted that disruption to the brain connections, not the location of the lesion, could be associated with epilepsy. The brain connections identified were in the basal ganglia and the cerebellum, structures found deep within the brain.
The researchers said mapping lesions in a brain network might help predict how likely someone is to develop epilepsy after a stroke.
They said common brain circuits could link different lesions, causing epilepsy.
The researchers note that
The scientists analyzed 30 people with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent deep brain stimulation.
They…
Read the full article here