Monday, August 06, 2007

RNS Discussion with Dr. King-Stephens (Part 5)

Part 5 of my RNS discussion with Dr. King-Stephens:

The RNS is able to detect brain activity that could indicate a seizure. How does it know the difference between normal activity and seizure activity?

The physician decides what is normal and abnormal for that individual. By looking at a number of records of brain activity from that patient, the physician can identify the specific patterns that characterize that person’s seizures. The device is then programmed by the physician to detect those specific patterns. Thus, the device is programmed differently for each individual.

If the RNS is able to distinguish between different types of brain activity it is essentially reading your mind. Can it detect emotional responses?

The RNS detects the brainwave activity but does not "read the mind". It would probably take a supercomputer with millions of electrodes placed over every cell in the brain in order to be able to "read" peoples thoughts. After all, the mind is the expression of all the brain cells activity at any given time.

For what other purposes is the RNS technology being used?

Right now, the RNS is only being used in a clinical trial for refractory epilepsy. It may be used for other conditions in the future.

Previous Posts (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4)

If you have epilepsy and are interested in finding out if you are a good match for the RNS clinical study, Call: 1-866-904-6630 or go to: www.seizurestudy.com

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