Imad Najm, MD: Impact of Wearable Technology in Epilepsy

“It may give some benefit to the patient, their family, their loved ones to at least give them at least a warning that this patient may be having a seizure or may have had a seizure.”

Wearable technology has continued to make inroads for detecting epileptic seizures, with one device currently FDA-approved. The devices can serve as warning systems for patients and caregivers, as well as a way for providers to track seizure trends over time. In an interview with NeurologyLive, Imad Najm, MD, the director of the Epilepsy Center at Cleveland Clinic, detailed the important role that wearable technology can play in detecting seizures in patients with epilepsy.

While wearable technology has made strides, there are still shortcomings in the sensitivity of what it can and cannot detect that need to be improved upon. On one hand, patients whose seizures go unnoticed or underreported can be undertreated, and in the case of hypersensitivity, some movements may be wrongly flagged as seizure activity.If recorded incorrectly, it could cause unnecessary mobilization of emergency services.

In the interview, Najm detailed the evolution of wearable devices and their ultimate potential for improving epilepsy care.