Amber Pearson, an American suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), would wash her hands till they bled. However, a revolutionary brain implant, originally designed to treat epilepsy, has dramatically improved her life.
The dual-purpose device targets OCD and epilepsy
Pearson’s experience with the 32-millimetre brain implant began as a treatment for her epileptic seizures. During the procedure at Oregon Health and Science University, Pearson presented a novel way to treat her OCD using the implanted gadget.
According to AFP, neurosurgeon Ahmed Raslan teamed with Pearson to investigate the specific brain activity associated with her OCD. They isolated compulsive behavior signals by exposing her to stimuli and capturing electrical markers. The implant was then programmed to respond to these signals particularly.
Revolutionary breakthrough!
The world’s first dual-programmed brain implant addresses both epilepsy and OCD. Raslan emphasizes the device’s distinctiveness, with separate programming for each illness, a breakthrough that he feels stemmed from Pearson’s perspective.
Raslan emphasizes that this revolutionary technique emerged from a patient’s insight, challenging conventional wisdom in which gadgets are normally created for one OCD or epilepsy, but not both.
Wider applications are being studied
A study is underway at the University of Pennsylvania to investigate the broader application of this groundbreaking approach. The goal is to give hope to the estimated 2.5 million Americans living with OCD.
Pearson had to wait eight months after the 2019 operation before seeing any visible results. Over time, the once-omnipresent rituals that dominated her everyday life began to fade. Pearson’s rituals have evolved from hours of handwashing and extensive pre-bed checks to a tolerable 30 minutes every day.