The brain is composed of two hemispheres, divided into four lobes - frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal - and each lobe has its own range of functions. The bumpy surface of the brain is known as the neocortex, but is also referred to just as the cortex. Click here for a diagram of the brain

The nature of epilepsy varies greatly depending on which lobe is affected, but also on how far below the surface the seizures start (the seizure focus).

Epilepsies that originate in the cortex are notoriously difficult to treat. Only about a third of people manage to control their seizures with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and those that do usually experience severe side-effects. In addition, the success rate of surgery for cortical epilepsies is not as high as that for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (that is, epilepsy that originates inside the temporal lobe).

Previous studies have shown that cooling neurons can suppress epileptic activity. In light of this, researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, USA have recently been exploring the possibility of using cooling as a treatment for cortical seizures.

The group started by creating experimental models of seizure activity. They cooled the models from 37 degrees C to 20 degrees, and found that the seizures quickly stopped. Cooling did not appear to damage the models in any way.

The team then applied their method to real life models, generating seizure activity by injecting a chemical called 4-aminopyridine into the brain. When they cooled the injected area using a special thermoelectric device, they discovered that when the temperature reached below 24 degrees C, the seizures stopped within seconds.

These results were repeated in a different institution by a completely independent group of scientists. This is extremely encouraging; because it means that in the future it might be possible to create an implantable cooling device, which can provide seizure detection and treatment.

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