Electric Dreams for Epileptics

The person sitting next to you could suddenly jerk, stare wildly and start having convulsions. It is a frightening sight for the uninitiated, but epilepsy is common in India, with about 10 lakh cases diagnosed every year. For many of them, there was little hope of relief. That has changed with the introduction of a new technique called vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Epilepsy is caused when certain brain cells misfire, sending the body's communication system into chaos. Help has been around for a long time. Lorazepam has served well for 20 years. Fosphenytin, introduced in 1996, is another effective treatment. Since then, 13 new anti-epileptic drugs have been introduced. For two-thirds of epileptics, popping a pill is all it takes to get their lives completely in order.

"Not all patients respond to medication," says neurologist Eish Anand of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. For a lucky few, where the epilepsy is localised, brain surgery has recently become possible. A "ketogenic diet"-a high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low-protein diet-also helps some patients. But almost a third of the patients had no option. VNS therapy could fulfil their need.

The vagal nerves are two major nerves controlling important organs like the lungs, the heart and the intestines. In VNS, a medical device sends small electrical impulses to the left vagus nerve in the neck. The vagus nerve delivers these electrical impulses to that part of the brain where seizures are believed to start. Global data has shown that VNS helps reduce the seizure rates by up to half. In a fortunate 5-15 per cent of the patients, the seizures stop completely. The device is easy to implant-it takes an hour's surgery. Its battery lasts 6-11 years and can be replaced by another simple operation. The total cost of the device and the procedure is Rs 3.5-5 lakh. The only side effect: a hoarse voice.

NEW VISION

Do you find thick glasses too ugly, contact lenses too cumbersome and lasik too costly? A middle ground is available with the newly introduced implantable lenses. Called Phakic IOL, this involves implanting an artificial lense over the eye's natural lense to correct the vision and costs Rs 30,000-35,000 per eye. It's a hassle-free procedure and entirely reversible. But Dr Sanjay Dhawan of Delhi's Max Medcentre warns that "it benefits some people, not everybody".

SLIMMING CHANCE
Only regular exercise and a balanced diet can keep those pounds off

2004 began with a body blow to the world's most popular diet, the Atkins' Diet. This low-carbohydrate programme allowed you to eat sinful stuff like chocolate cakes, ice creams and meat and still promised to shed those pounds. The reasoning: carbohydrates, and not fat, add to calories and, therefore, weight. It seemed too good to be true-and so it was. As Atkins' popularity shot up, so did warnings from doctors that the diet was bad for the heart and kidneys. Then came the revelation that its proponent, Dr Robert Atkins, had died obese, weighing 258 lbs at his death. Since then, journals of nutrition have been replete with articles claiming that Atkins' diet exacerbates problems.

Now, a study at Aston University, UK, suggests that 90 per cent of dieters put on the weight back. Chances of success rise if the dieter is part of a weight-control organisation, compared with those who diet alone. Solitary dieters-no matter what diet they chose-not only showed greater stress levels, but also had decreased mental performance.

So, how does one lose weight permanently? An active lifestyle, with at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, and a balanced diet help. In the long term, this is the only diet that works.

— Compiled by Supriya Bezbaruah