Mayo Clinic Minute - What is a brain pacemaker?

More than 3 million adults in the U.S. are living with epilepsy. It's a seizure disorder caused by abnormal brain activity. The seizures can lead to physical injury, emotional health issues or even death.

Medications and surgery are two forms of treatment. But nearly 10 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved another seizure treatment for adults that's often referred to as a "brain pacemaker."

"It's kind of like a pacemaker for the heart, but instead, we use it for the brain," says Dr. Richard Zimmerman, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon.

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