Controlling Abnormal Network Dynamics with Optogenetics (CANDO)

A small implant that reads brain activity and delivers pulses of light could stop epileptic seizures before they start. Around 600,000 people in the UK have epilepsy. For most, drugs control the seizures, but when they fail, the only option is often surgery to remove the part of the brain where the abnormal activity originates. That surgery is not suitable for everyone and can impair memory and thinking. This project, led by Dr Andrew Jackson and Professor Anthony O’Neill at Newcastle University, tackles that gap. The team proposes a closed-loop implant that continuously monitors electrical activity in the brain’s seizure focus. When it detects the build-up of abnormal rhythms, it fires precisely timed pulses of light from tiny LEDs. Those pulses target genetically altered nerve cells—made light-sensitive by a safe virus—to suppress the runaway activity before it becomes a full seizure. If the approach works, it could offer a third option for patients who do not respond to drugs and cannot have surgery: a permanent, brain-responsive implant that prevents seizures without removing tissue. The technology is still at an early, fundamental stage, but if proven safe and effective, it could transform epilepsy care and, more broadly, open a new class of closed-loop therapies for other brain disorders driven by abnormal network activity.