Oran, who had been having severe epileptic seizures for eight years and often needed resuscitation, was the first child in the UK to have this device implanted at Great Ormond Street Hospital in October 2023, when he was 12 years-old. Now 8 months on, his seizures have dramatically reduced in frequency and severity thanks to the device.
The rechargeable device is mounted onto the skull and is attached to electrodes deep in the brain to reduce seizure activity. This is the first UK clinical trial measuring this type of treatment for children with epilepsy. The CADET pilot (Children’s Adaptive Deep brain stimulation for Epilepsy Trial) will now recruit three additional patients, which is funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, before 22 patients take part in the full trial, which is being funded by GOSH Charity and LifeArc. The study is sponsored by University College London.