Seizure detection wearables make the grade in home settings

Automated seizure detection with wearable devices proves to be useful and safe in the home environment, as shown in a study.

A total of 242 wearable device users completed a structured online questionnaire (either by themselves or by their caregivers) that assessed direct user experience with wearable seizure detection devices in home settings. There were 211 patients (87.19 percent) with tonic–clonic seizures, and 87 of them had at least one seizure episode per month.

The median age of the population when starting to use the device was 17 years, and 48 percent were female. The median age at seizure onset was 9 years. Eighty-six patients with generalized tonic–clonic seizures were living alone or not sharing a bedroom most of the time.

Thirty-three patients (13.63 percent) used nonvalidated devices or commercially available smart watches, such as Apple Watch with either SeizAlarm or PulseGuard applications. Some patients used devices that were validated in phase III clinical studies (ie, NightWatch, Empatica, Epi-Care, Seizurelink).

Many of the users were satisfied with the wearable device, reported that the device was easy to use, and agreed that the use of the device improved their quality of life (median, 6 on 7-point Likert scale). Retention rate was high (84.58 percent), and the median usage time was long (14 months).

For most users (75.85 percent), seizure detection sensitivity of wearable devices in the home environment was similar to what was previously reported in validation studies in epilepsy monitoring units (≥95 percent). The experienced false alarm rate was relatively low (0–0.43 per day). The alarms led to a decrease in the number of seizure-related injuries in almost one-third of the patients, whereas almost two-thirds (65.41 percent) reported improvement in the accuracy of seizure diaries.

Compared with validated devices, nonvalidated ones had significantly lower retention rate, overall satisfaction, perceived sensitivity, and improvement in quality of life.