Uma Vivek of Health Support Systems routinely publishes articles on interesting new developments in the health care field. Send your comments to feedback@healthsupportsystems.com
A new medical breakthrough may help people who suffer with seizures. Doctors in Chicago are developing a device that will detect the onset of an epileptic seizure. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center are testing out a portable unit designed to detect the abnormal brain activity that happens before a seizure. The machine is basically a compact EEG machine that monitors brain activity. When the signs of electrical trouble are picked up, the machine would transmit a warning to a receiver. The patient could then take steps to sit down or tell someone. But there’s one huge catch: they have the technology but still haven’t figured out the most reliable warning sign, finding algorithms that would detect for a particular person when the seizure is about to start. That’s really the key part.
They’re recording hundreds of patients’ brainwave patterns, and creating a database in hopes of finding the precursor to seizures. In the lab, electrical activity of brain tissue is also being analyzed. The research is tedious and expensive. But experts say it’s desperately needed.
Health Support Systems 
Posted on December 9, 2008 by healthsupportsystems