World's first epilepsy device implanted in the skull of a schoolboy in England

LONDON: A schoolboy from southwest England has made medical history by becoming the first in the world to have a new device implanted in his skull to control seizures, a schoolboy suffering from severe epilepsy.

The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has reduced Oran Knowlson's daytime seizures by 80 percent.

Oran has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, an untreatable form of epilepsy he developed when he was three years old. Since then, he has had multiple seizures, anywhere from two dozen to hundreds per day, the BBC reports.

The surgery, which lasted around eight hours, took place in October 2023. It was part of a trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital when Oran, now 13, was 12.

The surgery was part of a trial carried out in partnership with University College London, King's College Hospital and the University of Oxford.

Epileptic seizures are caused by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain.

This device, which emits a continuous electric current, aims to block or interrupt abnormal signals.

His mother, Justine, told the BBC that he was happier and his quality of life was much better.

“We've seen a lot of improvement, the seizures have reduced and are less severe. He's become a lot more talkative, he's more engaged. He's turned 13 and I definitely have a teenager in me now – he's happy to tell me no. But when he's able to express himself better it adds to his quality of life,” she said.

Consultant paediatric neurosurgeon Martin Tisdall said: “We are delighted that Oran and his family have benefitted so greatly from the treatment and that it has dramatically improved his seizures and quality of life.”

Oran is part of the CADET (Children's Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation Trial for Epilepsy) project, a series of trials assessing the safety and effectiveness of outpatient deep brain stimulation for severe epilepsy.

The Picostim neurotransmitter is made by UK company Amber Therapeutics. It sits under the skull and sends electrical signals deep into the brain, reducing daytime seizures

The CADET pilot will now enroll three additional patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, bringing the total number of patients recruited to participate in the full trial to 22.