DHMC tests groundbreaking new treatment for epilepsy

LEBANON, N.H. (WCAX) - It’s estimated that more than 3 million people in the U.S. live with epilepsy, a chronic disease that causes sudden seizures. But neurosurgeons at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center are working on one-of-a-kind research they say could revolutionize the way epilepsy is treated, and help give patients peace of mind.

Jessica Sargent of Barrington, New Hampshire, was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 19.

“It really stinks, honestly, it definitely does,” Sargent said.

She’s currently a patient at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, but, more importantly, she’s a mom of two.

“There are times I would love to go outside and play with them, just us, but I’m just afraid that I will go down,” Sargent said.

Sudden seizure-induced blackouts are an unfortunate reality of epilepsy. But Sargent was recently in an operating room to do something about it.

“If I’m able to help out other people, especially mothers like me, I would love for them to be able to get better,” she said.

DHMC Neurosurgeon Dr. Joshua Aronson recently implanted a neurostimulator in Sargent’s brain that is designed to both prevent seizures from happening and keep a patient from blacking out when they do occur.

“It’s a very cruel disease because the seizures come without any warning,” said Dr. Barbara Jobst, the chair of the DHMC Neurology Department.

Jobst says the MRI technology at DHMC is part of what made this first-in-the-nation trial possible, along with a dedicated team.

“If the seizures cannot be interrupted, then to stimulate in a place to keep the patient awake,” Jobst said.

Data from the neurostimulator can be monitored in real-time by doctors.

Smart devices with Sargent prompt her to answer questions that will show she is still conscious, if and when a seizure happens.

“We are hoping that this device makes daily life a lot safer for patients and prevents seizures with loss of consciousness. Imagine losing consciousness when, for example, crossing the street or cooking could be quite dangerous,” Aronson said.

Though it seems this patient is more concerned about the well-being of others.

“I’ll be able to get the kids in the right spot, let them know what is doing to happen and it would just be so much easier on the children,” Sargent said.

The medical center is partnering with Yale University’s School of Medicine as well as the Mayo Clinic in the trial. It’s being funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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