Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital  2024-02-08 18:28  Beijing

Research background

Drug-refractory epilepsy caused by focal etiology usually requires surgical treatment, but there is a lack of effective treatment for patients who cannot be treated with resective surgery in functional areas, bilateral hippocampus, and so on. The closed-loop neuromodulation system can control and treat epilepsy by recording and analyzing abnormal EEG discharges and using electrical stimulation to target and inhibit the abnormal discharges. Similar products have already been approved and marketed by the FDA in Europe and the United States.

Research projects

The Stereotactic and Functional Diseases Group of Neurosurgery at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University is conducting a clinical trial: a prospective, multi-center, controlled clinical trial of an implantable closed-loop neuromodulation system for drug-refractory epilepsy. The national lead investigator is Prof. Zhao Guoguang, Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital. The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Group Leader Unit (Pro-Mechanical Review [2023] 029), and we are now openly recruiting subjects from the community.

Inclusion criteria

Aged between 6 and 70 years old

Have drug-refractory epilepsy

Not suitable for resective surgery or the patient does not accept resective surgery.

(Please consult the study physician for specific inclusion or exclusion criteria.)

Patient benefits

Patients who enroll in the program will receive priority surgical evaluation by the Epilepsy Center's team of specialists.

Free implantable closed-loop neuromodulation device for those who qualify and enroll in the study.

Long-term expert team diagnosis and treatment after the surgery.

Contact information

Consultations are available through the clinic (in chronological order)

Monday morning: Prof. Yongzhi Shan, a renowned neurosurgery expert

Monday and Tuesday morning: Prof. Ren Liankun, a renowned expert in Neurology

Tuesday afternoon Special Needs Clinic - Prof. Zhao Guoguang

Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning: Epilepsy Surgery Specialized Clinic - team doctors will attend the clinic

Online Consultation: Dr. Chen

Contact phone number (WeChat number): 13581773235

Center for Stereotactic and Functional Diseases

Introduction to Specialty Groups

The Center for Stereotactic and Functional Diseases of Neurosurgery of Xuanwu Hospital, headed by Prof. Zhao Guoguang, is a specialized group featuring stereotactic biopsy for functional diseases such as intractable epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia, movement disorders and difficult brain diseases. This specialty group, together with the Department of Neurology, Department of Imaging and Department of Pathology, has been approved as the Epilepsy Clinical Diagnosis, Treatment and Research Center of Capital Medical University, forms a multidisciplinary integration and medical-industrial cross-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment team. According to industry data, Xuanwu Hospital Epilepsy Center has an annual outpatient volume of more than 50,000 epilepsy visits/year, 700 epilepsy surgeries/year, and about 200 cases of intracranial electrode placement/year. It is the "National Epilepsy Center" of the Chinese Anti-Epilepsy Association (CAEA), and the leader of the group, Prof. Zhao Guoguang, is currently the vice president of the CAEA, and the chairman of the Special Committee on Stereotactic Electroencephalography and Brain Localization.