Researchers have demonstrated that seizures can be tracked in the home environment, giving clinicians access to data that could have a dramatic impact on the way in which epilepsy is treated in the future.
Novel subcutaneous electroencephalography (sqEEG) systems — consisting of a small electrode placed beneath the skin — have been proposed as a means of overcoming this challenge. The sqEEG is an AI-powered miniature implantable EEG for real-life monitoring of people with epilepsy. It is about the size of a UK pound coin and has a 10 cm wire attached. Under local anesthetic, it is placed behind the ear beneath the scalp, and the wire is directed to where the seizures are expected to occur.
The sqEEG wirelessly communicates with an external recorder attached with an adhesive pad behind the ear and fixed with a magnet or clip from which clinicians and researchers are able to access the data.
Over the course of the study period, almost 72,000 hours of real-world brainwave data were collected, capturing 754 seizures. Participants largely reported that the implant was acceptable and unobtrusive, with half recording for more than 20 hours a day. Researchers again found that the sqEEG system was able to more accurately track the type of seizure experienced versus the participants’ diaries. (Image credit: Kings College London)
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