Epilepsy Talk
Vagus Nerve Stimulation…Is it for YOU?
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Having a Vagus Nerve Stimulator implanted can be a tough decision. Is it right for you? Will it work? What are the side effects and consequences?
I did some research and got the low-down on what it is, how it works and some interesting statistics.
Tags: brain, depression, electrical pulses, improvement, memory, mood swings, refractory, setting, signals, vagus nerve stimulator
Epilepsy and Brain Surgery — The Basics
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Since there so many different types of brain surgeries — and questions — I decided to learn about them and share my findings with you.
Surgery is most commonly done when tests show that your seizures originate in a small, well-defined area of your brain that doesn’t interfere with vital functions like speech, language or hearing.
In these types of surgeries, your doctor removes the area of the brain that’s causing the seizures.
If your seizures originate in a part of your brain that can’t be removed, your doctor may recommend a different sort of surgery in which surgeons make a series of cuts in your brain.
These cuts are designed to prevent seizures from spreading to other parts of the brain.
Although many people continue to need some medication to help prevent seizures after successful surgery, you may be able to take fewer drugs and reduce your dosages.
The type of surgery used depends on the type of seizures and the area of the brain where the seizures start. The surgical options include:
The Gamma Knife — Non Invasive Surgery
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Neurosurgeons continue to explore the less invasive Gamma Knife radiosurgery for elimination of temporal lobe abnormalities and brain lesions.
The Gamma Knife itself has been around for quite a while, so there’s a history of its use. But its application specifically for this form of epilepsy hasn’t really been done before. Therefore, the purpose of recent research was to see if the advantages of this minimally invasive tool could provide an alternative to standard surgery…
Tags: alternative, brain lesions, cognitive, decrease, dissolve, Gamma Knife, improvement, less invasive, out-patient, precision, psychiatric, radiation, radiosurgery, Research, seizure-free, surgery
Groundbreaking Report: A Giant Step for Epilepsy
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In a special presentation from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a groundbreaking report was released with 13 recommendations that the IOM designed to help improve care for all people with epilepsy…
Vagus Nerve Stimulation…Is it for YOU?
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Having a Vagus Nerve Stimulator implanted can be a tough decision. Is it right for you? Will it work? What are the side effects and consequences?
I did some research and got the low-down on what it is, how it works and some interesting statistics. (If you are already acquainted with the VNS and are on the fence, you might want to just skip down to risks and benefits sections.)
Tags: brain, depression, electrical pulses, improvement, memory, mood swings, refractory, setting, signals, vagus nerve stimulator
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