快猫短视频

FOR many people with epilepsy, the biggest fear is that a seizure will catch
them by surprise and cause an accident. A new alarm system aims to prevent this
by warning when a seizure is about to strike.

The system, called Forecast, starts by recording its user鈥檚 brain activity
via EEG electrodes. It then monitors the brain鈥檚 activity and compares this with
the stored data. The software it uses to do this was devised by Lee Hively at
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Sustained large differences can
indicate that an epileptic seizure is imminent, says Hively.

鈥淚t seems that before a seizure, there鈥檚 a warming-up period in brain
activity that this algorithm picks up,鈥� says Char Merican of Nicolet Biomedical
in Madison, Wisconsin, which is carrying out clinical tests of Forecast. The
firm plans to build the technology into a wearable unit.

Forecast can detect seizures more than eight minutes before they strike,
which could make a big difference, says Hively. 鈥淭he person could immediately
stop doing what they鈥檙e doing鈥攍ike get out of the swimming pool or get off
the ladder鈥攁nd go and lie down,鈥� he told 快猫短视频.