Estep is the name of a neurotherapeutic stimulation equipment for epileptics currently developed by experts from the Cuban Neurosciences Center (CNEURO).
Ernesto Velarde, head of the institution's Electronics Department, told Prensa Latina news agency that they obtained promising results in a small test carried out with 18 individuals, although the study is still in progress.
There is evidence that a large group of people with refractory epilepsy, characterized by poor response to drugs, react, however, to electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve, said the specialist.
Although the device has yet to be tested in another trial, it shows potential and could be used to reduce doses in patients who respond to prescription drugs, but suffer from numerous adverse effects, he said.
The study's conclusions will be presented at the end of this year or in early 2023.
CNEURO is also working on projects to improve the quality of life of patients with other conditions. For example, initial steps are being taken to obtain the first Cuban cochlear implant; and Infantix, a screening procedure for the detection of hearing and visual disorders in newborns, is being perfected.
They are also involved in the development of an electrical impedance tomograph, which facilitates the monitoring of pulmonary function in patients admitted to intensive care; in the update of an electrodiometer, and in the manufacture of a facial nerve monitor, widely used in surgical interventions. (National News Office)
Translated by ESTI
