Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, lead author in a recent Frontiers in Surgery article on DBS

Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Dell Medical School, was the lead author of a recent Frontiers in Surgery article that analyzed the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. DBS was used primarily for palliation of generalized or mixed drug-resistant epilepsy after other therapies failed, and 71% of these patients experienced a 50% or greater seizure reduction. RNS was used for patients with a better-defined seizure focus and no prior epilepsy surgery. Eighty percent of the RNS patients achieved clinical seizure freedom, and 20% had a 90% reduction in seizure burden. RNS also provided valuable data for future interventions. Both DBS and RNS are useful options for children with drug-resistant epilepsy.