{"id":30765,"date":"2025-10-20T18:50:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=30765"},"modified":"2025-10-20T18:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T18:50:11","slug":"personalized-brain-stimulation-offers-new-hope-for-epilepsy-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/personalized-brain-stimulation-offers-new-hope-for-epilepsy-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"Personalized Brain Stimulation Offers New Hope for Epilepsy Patients"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A team from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC has introduced a personalized brain stimulation approach for treating hard-to-treat epilepsy, reducing seizures by nearly 90% in some patients.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Innovations in epilepsy treatment are on the horizon thanks to a new study by doctors and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-025-64922-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Published<\/a> in Nature Communications, the breakthrough approach leverages personalized deep brain stimulation (DBS) to target specific regions in the brain, offering life-changing results for patients who don&#8217;t respond to conventional therapies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide, and for one-third of these patients, medications offer no relief. Surgery is not a viable option when seizures originate in critical areas of the brain involved in essential functions such as speech, movement or vision. Traditional brain stimulation techniques like those targeting the anterior nucleus of the thalamus have had limited success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe existing FDA-cleared therapy targets only one portion of the thalamus, the anterior nucleus,\u201d lead author Arianna Damiani, a graduate student researcher at\u00a0Pitt\u2019s Rehab Neural Engineering Laboratories\u00a0(RNEL), said in a news release. \u201cWe hypothesized that\u00a0electrical stimulation of the brain\u00a0would be more effective if we could target the specific area of the thalamus most strongly connected to the seizing areas of the cerebral cortex.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To test this hypothesis, the research team, comprising physicians, neuroscientists and bioengineers, mapped the seizure activity of 41 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. By utilizing advanced imaging and brain recordings, they identified the precise brain connections between seizure-prone areas of the cerebral cortex and specific locations within the thalamus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When this personalized DBS was applied, the results were groundbreaking. Patients experienced a dramatic decrease in the number and severity of their seizures. For long-term implant recipients, seizure frequency plummeted by nearly 90%, with some patients experiencing months-long seizure-free periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is a major step toward making brain stimulation more effective for people with treatment-resistant epilepsy,\u201d Damiani added. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just a treatment, this is <em>your <\/em>treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This study is distinct because it integrates multiple techniques \u2014 electrical stimulation, imaging and clinical assessment \u2014 within the same patient cohort. Such a comprehensive approach had not been attempted in prior research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe epilepsy monitoring unit at UPMC Presbyterian is like few others in the world,\u201d added co-author\u00a0Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, a UPMC neurosurgeon and director of the\u00a0epilepsy surgery service. \u201cThis technology allowed us to create a novel framework for collecting and analyzing data that\u00a0ultimately resulted\u00a0in hyper-personalized treatments for our patients.\u00a0The combination of high clinical\u00a0expertise\u00a0with\u00a0cutting edge\u00a0science is what makes\u00a0significant clinical advancements possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The potential of this precise targeting method extends beyond epilepsy. In the past, the Pitt\/UPMC team successfully used similar DBS techniques to restore arm mobility in patients with partial paralysis due to traumatic brain injury and stroke. The researchers believe this approach could also benefit individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders, such as depression or addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re understanding more and more about the common mechanisms underlying many conditions that originate in the brain,\u201d added co-senior author Elvira Pirondini, who is also with RNEL. \u201cWith both stroke and epilepsy, we targeted an area deep in the brain that is connected to the motor cortex. The difference was whether we wanted to potentiate activity or suppress it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:13px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/media\/news\/102025-dbs-epilepsy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">University of Pittsburgh<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Innovations in epilepsy treatment are on the horizon thanks to a new study by doctors and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. Published in Nature Communications, the breakthrough approach leverages personalized deep brain stimulation (DBS) to target specific regions in the brain, offering life-changing results for patients who don&#8217;t respond to conventional therapies. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[89],"class_list":["post-30765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-university-of-pittsburgh"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Innovations in epilepsy treatment are on the horizon thanks to a new study by doctors and researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. Published in Nature Communications, the breakthrough approach leverages personalized deep brain stimulation (DBS) to target specific regions in the brain, offering life-changing results for patients who don&#8217;t respond to conventional therapies.&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30765"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30830,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30765\/revisions\/30830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}