The use of Neurostimulation for the Treatment of DrugResistant Epilepsy in Children

Epilepsy is one of the most devastating conditions to potentially affect children. This condition, in which there is an enduring predisposition to future unprovoked epileptic seizures, is estimated to affect more than 300,000 children under the age of 15 in the United States alone. Approximately 60-70% of such children will be rendered seizure free with either the first or second anti-seizure drug tried [1]. However, 30- 40% of these children will continue to suffer from epileptic seizures despite such medications [2]. By the time a third anti-seizure drug is tried, the chances of a child achieving complete seizure cessation drops to 5%. This becomes precipitously less as more and more anti-seizure drugs are prescribed. Uncontrolled seizures have the potential to cause significant morbidity (including injuries from seizures, developmental delay/intellectual disability, and social isolation) and even mortality (including from status epilepticus and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, SUDEP).