Imagine waking up seizure-free after years of suffering. 

For 17-year-old Clara Fuller, this dream became reality thanks to groundbreaking brain implant technology. 

Her journey from relentless seizures to a normal teenage life highlights the incredible potential of medical innovation.

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A life turned upside down

At just 13, Clara began experiencing uncontrollable seizures that baffled doctors. Initially misdiagnosed with anxiety and gallbladder issues, she even underwent unnecessary surgery before doctors finally identified the real culprit: epilepsy. But this wasn’t just any epilepsy; Clara had multifocal epilepsy, a rare and severe form that resists all medication.

“Every night I would have seizures, up to 10, and it was just miserable,” Clara said, recalling the years lost to her condition.

Her adolescence was marked by sleepless nights and constant medical challenges, robbing her of the simple joys of being a teenager. For years, there seemed to be no solution in sight.

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A revolutionary solution

Everything changed this past summer when Clara became the first pediatric patient to undergo a minimally invasive procedure at the Mayo Clinic using NeuroOne’s cutting-edge brain implant technology. The device, known as the NeuroOne OneRF Ablation System, is the first of its kind FDA-cleared technology designed for both diagnosing and treating neurological disorders in one procedure.

“It took them maybe 30 minutes, and the longest part was setting up,” Clara said about the procedure that transformed her life.

Dr. Brin Freund, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, explained Clara’s case in more detail: 

“Clara has had a history of seizures that, unfortunately, were uncontrolled with medications. In these cases, surgery may be the only option to reduce and potentially cure the seizure disorder. After a thorough diagnostic evaluation, our group at Mayo Clinic Florida recommended implantation of electrodes (stereoelectroencephalography, or stereo EEG) in the brain to determine where her seizures were originating, in order to develop a surgical plan to treat them. 

“Clara and her family were very much in agreement with this plan, given how debilitating her seizures had been and the failure to control her seizures with medications. Clara underwent implantation of NeuroOne electrodes in order to record seizure activity to determine where her seizures were arising from and then to potentially treat them by performing radiofrequency ablation in these areas.”

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How NeuroOne’s dual-function system works

The NeuroOne system uses ultra-thin electrodes to pinpoint the exact source of seizures in the brain. Once identified, it employs radiofrequency energy to disrupt abnormal electrical signals in problematic brain tissue without permanently damaging surrounding areas. This dual functionality, diagnostic and therapeutic, is what sets it apart from traditional methods that require two separate surgeries.

NeuroOne CEO Dave Rosa explained: 

“What separates our technology from others is that our device can be used for both the diagnostic part – finding the area of the brain – and then ablating or destroying that tissue, all in the same hospitalization.” 

He added that this approach minimizes patient risk by reducing the number of procedures and hospitalizations required.

Freund emphasized this advantage:

“Stereo EEG electrodes provide the ability to localize seizure onset with excellent precision as long as the electrode implantation is planned thoroughly and accurately. With regards to the NeuroOne electrodes, they allow for radiofrequency ablation to be performed while the electrodes are still implanted without having to remove them. We can therefore not only localize the seizure onset but provide a surgical treatment and potentially avoid a second and potentially more extensive or invasive procedure such as a craniotomy and resection of brain tissue. 

“The NeuroOne electrodes allow us to control the conditions of the ablative procedure. They also provide us more confidence that the electrodes will withstand the duration of the implantation, which would include recording seizure data, performing the ablation and then recording more data after the ablation to ensure that the treatment achieved the intended goal.”

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The results

The results have been nothing short of life-changing for Clara. Since undergoing the procedure, she has been completely seizure-free. She’s now back to enjoying school, sports and uninterrupted sleep – things most people take for granted but were once unimaginable for her.

According to Freund:

“Regarding the implantation itself, she did very well and there were no adverse effects. The first ablation did not cause any acute complications. We then performed a second ablation a few days later after data was recorded from the electrodes demonstrating ongoing seizure activity to ensure that her seizures would not recur. This was also well-tolerated without complications. We have now followed up months after the electrodes were removed and there have been no signs of ill effects due to the implantation or the ablations. She has been seizure-free since the ablation and has done amazingly well.”

Clara’s story offers hope for others living with drug-resistant epilepsy, which affects about one-third of the 3 million Americans with epilepsy. According to Rosa, “The desire to expand ablation therapy to patients suffering from seizures that do not respond to drug therapy was our driving force.”

A broader impact on medicine

NeuroOne’s innovative technology isn’t just limited to epilepsy treatment. The company plans to expand its applications to other areas, such as pain management for facial pain and lower back pain, using the same RF ablation technology. Rosa also sees potential for treating neurological conditions beyond epilepsy: 

“Pain management appears to be the largest opportunity outside of brain ablation.”

Dr. Freund believes this technology could dramatically improve long-term care for pediatric epilepsy patients like Clara: 

“This technology could allow for limiting the number of procedures that are required to treat drug-resistant focal epilepsy and also provide immediate feedback as to whether or not a surgical treatment was effective. This could potentially reduce the risk of adverse events by limiting the number of times that a brain surgery would be needed. This technology also allows us to access deeper parts of the brain to provide surgical treatment.”

He added that the impact may soon be widespread:

“In our practice, we are now using these electrodes in every case that requires Stereo EEG for treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. I think as these types of electrodes are used at more centers and they get more experience, there would be no reason not to use them.”

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Clara’s remarkable journey from a life plagued by seizures to one of freedom and normalcy underscores how advancements in medical technology are transforming lives in profound ways. Her story offers hope for those struggling with drug-resistant epilepsy and other neurological conditions.

As technology continues to push boundaries, we can expect even more groundbreaking treatments to emerge, offering new possibilities for those who once felt limited by their conditions. In the words of NeuroOne’s CEO, this revolutionary technology promises a future where fewer surgeries and safer outcomes become the norm.

If you or someone close to you had epilepsy, would you consider trying innovative treatments like this? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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