Wearable electroencephalography for ultra-long-term seizure monitoring: a systematic review and future prospects

Abstract

Introduction: Wearable electroencephalography (EEG) for objective seizure counting might transform the clinical management of epilepsy. Non-EEG modalities have been validated for the detection of convulsive seizures, but there is still an unmet need for the detection of non-convulsive seizures.

Areas covered: The main objective of this systematic review was to explore the current status on wearable surface- and subcutaneous EEG for long-term seizure monitoring in epilepsy. We included 17 studies and evaluated the progress on the field, including device specifications, intended populations, and main results on the published studies including diagnostic accuracy measures. Furthermore, we examine the hurdles for widespread clinical implementation. This systematic review and expert opinion both consults the PRISMA guidelines and reflects on the future perspectives of this emerging field.

Expert opinion: Wearable EEG for long-term seizure monitoring is an emerging field, with plenty of proposed devices and proof-of-concept clinical validation studies. The possible implications of these devices are immense including objective seizure counting and possibly forecasting. However, the true clinical value of the devices, including effects on patient important outcomes and clinical decision making is yet to be unveiled and large-scale clinical validation trials are called for.

Keywords: Wearables; epilepsy; seizure detection; subcutaneous EEG; surface EEG; systematic review.