"Friendly" device - a bracelet for patients with epilepsy

In order to evaluate the effect of epileptic seizures, patients usually require electrodes placed on the head, which then wires are connected to an electroencephalograph (EEG). I must say that it has certain disadvantages, because the patient must be in the hospital and wait for the attack. To avoid this unpleasant moment, scientists at MIT have developed a much more acceptable and "friendly" device - a bracelet that is worn around the clock and the patient does not cause the syndrome of "white coat". Thus, it became possible to monitor the parameters of the body clock, and without causing discomfort to the patient. In addition, the device allows you to record the testimony with the same accuracy that the hospital EEG.

The sensor was developed by a team led by Rosalind Picard, professor of media arts and sciences. It was originally designed to determine the emotional state of children with autism, because their behavior is often not a reflection of their mood. Their condition is assessed as of the sympathetic nervous system, which is reflected in the electrical conductivity of the skin.

After analyzing the data obtained from a study of autistic children in the Children's Hospital Boston, the researchers concluded that the greater the electrical conductivity of the skin of the patient during the attack, the longer it takes for the resumption of normal EEG activity in the brain.

Previous studies have shown that the longer there is no activity in the brain after the seizure, the higher the risk the patient dying from sudden unexplained death within hours after the attack. At the present time to assess the risk of dying from SUDEP (sudden unexplained death from epilepsy) is used the duration of an epileptic fit. Studies in Children's Hospital research has shown that the depth of an epileptic fit has nothing to do with its duration.