Wearable Epilepsy Tracking Device Will Fill Cognitive Gaps After Seizures

A wearable epilepsy-monitoring device that can track and collect data on the condition over time is in development by design group Artefact.

The Dialog prototype is available to wear either as a sticker underneath clothing anywhere on the body or as a watch-like band on the wrist. Through the device, a patient and caregiver can track symptoms and triggers, which are recorded with biometric and environmental data. Then, patients, family members, and healthcare professionals can review that history in a smartphone app.

According to the developers, Dialog will communicate early warning signs to epilepsy patients to provide time to move to a safe environment or take preventative action. During a sustained seizure, Dialog would notify nearby first responders and inform them about the needs of the patient, as well as alert a family member or caregiver. Afterward, patients would use the device to reorient themselves by reading data on the length of their seizure and other context clues to fill cognitive gaps.

By tapping and gesturing to the device in different ways, Dialog tracks mood, aura, and medication reminders. This data would help patients and clinicians make decisions regarding medications and threshold management more easily, the developers said.

“The components that can make a concept like Dialog possible are already being developed and tested,” the developers wrote on their website. “Creating innovative experiences that help people understand and manage their conditions better will empower them to live better lives, and that is creating a preferable health outcome by design.”