Research
Overview
BCISim, Inc. has developed a new technology that addresses the unmet medical need of neurological disorders.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder which affects more than 70 million people worldwide. There are more than 3 million epilepsy patients in the U.S. alone, with 100,000 new cases reported every year. Annual direct medical cost translates to billions, while indirect costs are much more due to the loss of lifetime earnings estimating at 35% for men and 25% for women. Social alienation often causes epilepsy patients to develop other neurological disorders like clinical depression and psychosis.
Most types of epilepsy treatments involve the prescription of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) that help control seizures in 70% of epileptic patients. However, AEDs remain complicated by short and long term side effects. Alternatives include epilepsy surgery which offers a 50–65% probability of relief from disabling seizures, but is possible in only 8% of chronic epilepsy patients. Another alternative, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), offers only palliative treatment.