BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Electrical stimulation of a key region of the brain has been found to significantly reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in patients who have not responded to current therapies.

Stanford University conducted a trial with more than 100 adults who showed no improvement from approved epilepsy drugs or other therapies. A battery-operated, pacemaker-like device was implanted to deliver precisely measured and timed electrical impulses to their brain.

At the start of the trial these patients averaged 20 seizures per month. After three months, that rate was reduced by 40 percent for patients getting the electrical stimulation, compared to only a 14 percent drop in those who did not.

Patients opting to continue the therapy for two years, experienced a 56 percent decrease in the frequency of seizures and a 68 percent reduction after three years.

An FDA advisory panel has recommended approval of deep brain stimulation for epileptics, but the FDA has not yet reached a final decision on this treatment.