The medical uses of electrically shocking your brain have a dubious history and a worse portrayal in movies. One Flew Over A Cuckoo’s Nest certainly didn’t leave viewers rushing to strap electrodes to their head. Yet, the medical industry continues to explore how mild electrical stimulation could help with brain diseases the same way that pacemakers help with heart disease. Neuropace, a company based in Silicon Valley, is in clinical trials with their RNS System. The RNS is a neurostimulator implant that monitors brain activity and shocks select regions to prevent epileptic seizures. Currently in clinical trial, the device represents a new era of healing the brain through electric shock.

Epilepsy affects around 1% of the world’s population (2.5 million or so in the US alone) and can be treated with medications or even surgeries. However, some patients are not good candidates for the epilepsy surgery, and many (Neuropace estimates 40-50%) are dissatisfied with their medications due to side effects or lack of efficacy. The RNS implant could help millions worldwide control or prevent their epileptic seizures. Similar treatments with the same implant could be used for many other neural illnesses.

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