A laser beam is to help in the treatment of epilepsy

Scientists have developed a new technique to identify the lesion of the brain in patients with epilepsy. Of the invention is the ability of the laser beam to penetrate the nerve cells. New diagnostic method was tested on rats, but in the near future, the scientists plan to conduct research involving human subjects. The basis of epilepsy are nerve impulses generated in the source of pathological activity with great frequency. About 60% of patients with stabilization can be achieved with antiepileptic drugs. A third of patients, however, require surgical treatment, which is the cutting out of the abnormality of the brain. The main difficulty here is to determine the exact location of the lesion. Doctors to impose network electrodes directly on the surface of the brain. Scientists from the U.S. have shown in rats that a laser beam can be significantly faster on the location of the abnormal area. The nature of the so-called laser-induced photoacoustic tomography is that the flow of the laser beams that are transmitted through the skull to the brain. In neurons arise micro vibration, sound waves detected by a special sensor and converted. By the nature of the resulting sound can be judged by the location of the lesion. Researchers proposed technique is based on the fact that parts of the brain with an abnormal activity, the ability to flow to itself and to focus light is based on this way from the surrounding have nerve tissue. Determination of the affected area with the new process only takes a few seconds, which is much less than the time required to perform CT and MRI. It is possible that there is a portable version of the device for the laser diagnostics, research will be conducted at the bedside. After good results in experiments with rats, doctors have begun to develop a research project on patients. However, a study in humans has its difficulties. In particular the thickness of the skull is to be one centimeter, so that it is difficult to pass through the laser beam in the brain and make the transmission of vibrations to the sensor. But scientists hope that with the help of a laser beam with a longer wavelength and a special gel for better conductivity signals, they can make a difference. The data on the new methodology in the journal Physics in Medicine and Biology publishes.