Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by seizures, which afflicts around 1% of people worldwide. If patients can be given a warning before seizure onset, their quality of life may be improved because they can avoid accidents.
Based on a theory that excessive neuronal activities associated with epilepsy affect the heart rate pattern, we have developed an epileptic seizure prediction system through monitoring patients’heart rate patterns. Our system consists of a heart rate sensor and a smartphone app; the sensor measures the heart rate pattern and the app analyzes it for seizure prediction in real time.
Our system has been tested in hospitals, and it will be ready for practical use hopefully in about ten years. There is a possibility that our system may lead to the creation of a new epilepsy patient care scheme.