Ionic Neuromodulation For Epilepsy Treatment

Around 30 % of patients with epilepsy have a drug-resistant form of the disease. In this condition, even two anti-epileptic drugs are unable to achieve freedom from seizure when prescribed as mono-therapies or in combination. Currently, there is no approach that has produced meaningful improvement in such patients. This EU-funded consortium is developing a totally new approach to manipulate neuronal cell excitability – applying neuronal firing by direct ionic actuation at the microscopic scale and monitoring cell responses by nanoscale transistors. This multidisciplinary consortium aims to establish proof-of-principle for breakthrough neuromodulation technology by enabling future brain implants for epilepsy treatment through in vitro testing of special polymers and ultra-sensitive ion sensor arrays.