06:38 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 17, 2006

By ERIN OCHOA / KVUE News

Epilepsy affects the lives of thousands of children. Although medication is considered the first line of defense, many doctors are now using a device called a Vagal Nerve Stimulator, or VNS, to reduce the frequency of intensity of seizures.

Most people couldn't pick Cody Ross, 14, from a crowd, but until recently, his life was anything but normal.

"My eye twitches and when I have a seizure. I didn't know about it," he said.

Ross has battled epilepsy since birth, sometimes having more than 20 seizures in a day.

"All of the sudden he may just glare at you or get up and walk off. He may look over to the left and his head will kind of go over and his eyes will start twitching a little bit," said Ronda McCowen, mother.

After his seizures, Ross was unaware of what had happened.

"It's kind of like using a white board. You have all this information on a white board and then, if you have a seizure, you might as well just take it and wipe it completely clean," McCowen said.

Two years ago, doctors implanted a generator just over Ross' heart. It's part of the VNS, designed for children who have not had success with at least two seizure medications.

"What is thought to be the basis is that the stimulation goes up into the brain stem, and stimulates an inhibitory pathway in the brain that inhibits the seizures that are trying to happen," said Dr. Patricia Aronin, pediatric neurosurgeon.

The VNS delivers an electric current to the vagus nerve. Doctors can control the timing and strength of the current -- but patients can also stop seizures during an onset -- using a special magnet.

"You can activate it at a stronger current with a longer pulse by passing a magnet over it so if, for instance, the mother is with the boy and he starts to have a seizure, she can sometimes abort it by passing a magnet over the VNS," said Dr. Jeff Kerr, pediatric neurologist.

Dr. Aronin added, "It gives some of the kids a real sense of empowerment because it gives them something they can do besides taking the medicine."

Ross now has another line of defense in his back pocket.

"When the VNS goes off, my teacher has to swipe it," Ross said.

McCowen says her son now lives a fairly normal life.

"He goes and rides his bike down the street, goes out and plays basketball, runs track, and plays football."

Today, Ross only has about five seizures a month.

Although there's no guarantee, doctors say most patients will likely see an improvement. It could take up to a year to see the full benefit.

Surgery to implant the VNS takes less than two hours, but the generator will likely have to be replaced every few years.

"The advantage of the vagus nerve stimulator is that you're not doing anything permanently destructive to the brain," Dr. Aronin said.