Computer Modeling of Epilepsy

There are 50 million people worldwide afflicted with epilepsy, and for roughly 15 million of them, existing epilepsy treatments are not sufficient. 1 Such stark facts spur clinicians and researchers to consider dramatically different approaches to treatment, such as an implantable device that could characterize electrical activity in real time, immediately detect when the brain reaches a preictal state, and apply a counteracting current waveform, averting the seizure before it starts (see the next section), 2 or an individualized, detailed model of the patient's brain—complete with patientspecific details such as genetic mutations or head trauma—to which doctors could administer virtual drugs to determine the best treatment regimen for that person. Such a tool would complement existing therapies by reducing the likelihood of patients being subjected to treatments to which they are unresponsive.