Could zapping a different brain region tame epilepsy?

NCT ID NCT04692701

First seen Feb 12, 2026 · Last updated Jun 19, 2026 · Updated 19 times

Summary

This pilot study tests deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the medial pulvinar, a new target in the brain, for people with drug-resistant epilepsy who have not improved with other treatments. Twelve adults aged 18 to 60 will receive the stimulation and track their seizures for 12 months. The goal is to see if this approach can reduce seizure frequency and improve quality of life.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Service de Neurologie

    Nice, France, 13385, France

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

deep brain stimulation device targeting the medial pulvinar

What this could lead to

If successful, this could offer a new treatment option for people with drug-resistant epilepsy who have not responded to other therapies.

What could go wrong

This is a very small pilot study with only 12 participants, so results may not apply widely. The approach is still experimental and may not reduce seizures significantly.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

epilepsy visual epilepsy

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.