Keele researchers are inviting people with epilepsy to take part in a new study investigating opinions and experiences of using wearable technology to detect seizures. 

Led by PhD student Tendai Rukasha and Dr Sandra Woolley from Keele University’s School of Computing and Mathematics, the team are running a survey, with the help of the charity Epilepsy Action, and are calling on people with epilepsy, healthcare professionals, or carers who use wearable devices to detect seizures, to take part. 

The researchers are studying this topic after publishing a recent literature review which found this was an under-researched area, despite many studies proposing and evaluating new approaches for detecting seizures. 

Their review, published in the journal Electronics, found that there is a lack of studies evaluating the wearable devices available to consumers and researchers and whether they can be used to detect seizures, adding that there is much scope for more complete evaluation data in quantitative studies.  

They also found that there is much scope for further studies amongst individuals, carers, and healthcare professionals regarding their use, experiences, and opinions of these devices. 

Their latest research is a set of questionnaires for either individuals with epilepsy, healthcare professionals or carers - potentially including teachers and colleagues as well as friends and family – to judge their experiences of using wearable technology to detect epileptic seizures. 

The findings will contribute to the evaluation and future developments of wearable devices that can detect seizures, with Dr Woolley saying: “Wearable health-monitoring devices offer exciting opportunities to support individuals managing chronic health conditions.”

To take part in the research, visit this webpage.