Despite a range of measures that are used to treat epilepsy, some people still have seizures. Their unpredictability negatively affects the quality of life of patients. If seizures could be reliably predicted, people with epilepsy could take fast-acting medications or turn on a neurostimulator to prevent an attack or minimize its effects.
A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports by experts at the Mayo Clinic found that patients who wear a special monitoring device in the form of a wristwatch for 6-12 months show patterns. As a result, a seizure can be predicted in about 30 minutes. In five of the six patients who took part in the study, the device worked well.
“Just as a reliable weather forecast helps people plan their activities, seizure prediction can help epilepsy patients adjust their plans,” says Dr. Benjamin Brinkmann, senior author of the study. “This work using a wearable device shows that it is possible to obtain reliable seizure predictions in people with epilepsy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy without directly measuring brain activity.”