If the brain is a musical instrument, "the electrophysiology is the music," says Dr. Alexander Khalessi. New tools to treat epilepsy patients now let doctors "listen to the music a little bit better." Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption
The ROSA machine allows surgeons to zero in on areas of the brain tied to seizures, and guides a surgical arm precisely to the target. University of California, San Diego hide caption
Evelyn Nussembaum and her son Sam Vogelstein pick up a six month supply of Epidiolex from the experimental pharmacy at UCSF. Lesley McClurg/KQED hide caption
A drug made from a derivative of marijuana has been approved for patients with certain forms of epilepsy. Blaine Harrington III/Getty Images hide caption
A sample of cannabidiol (CBD) oil is dropped into water. Supplements containing the marijuana extract are popular and widely sold as remedies for a variety of ailments and aches. But scientific evidence that they work hasn't yet caught up for most applications, researchers say. Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg Creative Photos/Getty Images hide caption
Brain MRI BSIP/Collection Mix: Sub/Getty Images hide caption
Tapping into millennials' compassion and activism might be the best way to motivate them to buy health coverage, says Aditi Juneja, a New York University law student. Ashley Pridmore/Courtesy of Youth Radio hide caption
Scientists placed two clusters of cultured forebrain cells side by side (each cluster the size of a head of a pin). Within days, the "minibrains" had fused and particular neurons (in green) migrated from the left side to the right side, as subsets of cells do in a real brain. Courtesy of Pasca lab/Stanford University hide caption
Christine Ristaino, with her son, Benny Smith, on a recent visit with StoryCorps. StoryCorps hide caption
A strain of high-cannabidiol marijuana is used to create extracts used in experimental epilepsy treatments. GW Pharmaceuticals hide caption
Electrodes on the scalp can reveal electrical activity in the brain associated with seizures. Adrianna Williams/Corbis hide caption
The dream of epilepsy research, says neurobiologist Ivan Soltesz, is to stop seizures by manipulating only some brain cells, not all. Steve Zylius/UC Irvine Communications hide caption
A technique called optogenetics is being used in the laboratory to observe and control what brain circuits are doing in real time. Henning Dalhoff/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RM hide caption
Surgeons use a grid of electrodes laid on a patient's brain. They record electrical activity and can deliver a tiny jolt. Courtesy of Dr. Josef Parvizi hide caption
Gabapentin, sold under the brand name Neurontin, helps some people cut down on drinking. iStockphoto.com hide caption
In epilepsy, the normal behavior of brain neurons is disturbed. The drug valproic acid appears to help the brain replenish a key chemical, preventing seizures. David Mack/Science Source hide caption
Barton Holmes, 2, sits with his father, Kevin Holmes, and his mother, Catherine McEaddy Holmes, during an appointment at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Maggie Starbard/NPR hide caption
With a little help and guidance, epileptic teens can have most of the same experiences as their peers, including learning to drive. iStockphoto.com hide caption