An exciting new clinical trial - led by our colleagues in FutureNeuro and the Royal College of Surgeons - investigating a new device which provides continuous, remote EEG monitoring has begun in Ireland.
UNEEG EpiSight is a wireless device which is implanted just underneath the skin on the scalp – in a procedure that lasts approximately 20 minutes under anesthetic.
The device then acts as 24/7 EEG that records a patient’s brain activity as they go about their lives. The data that is collected is stored on a discrete wireless recorder and transferred to the patient’s hospital each day. Using specialist software, this then presents the patient’s brain activity to their clinician and can identify seizure activity which could help the clinician develop more targeted treatments for their patient.
As many people reading this will know, having clear and accurate data on how a patient’s epilepsy is presenting and the number of seizures they are experiencing is vital information to help clinicians develop more accurate, individualised treatment plans for that person.
At the moment, the information clinicians depend on can often be from semi-regular EEG recordings, or even from initial EEGs at the time of diagnosis. Information about seizure presentation is often self-reported by people with epilepsy or their caregivers through the use of seizure diaries etc – while in other cases, a person with epilepsy may be required to stay in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU).
While diaries and EMU data are useful in giving snapshots in time of a person’s seizure activity, neither offers the continuous monitoring that this device can potentially provide. Moreover, the device could also prevent lengthy hospital stays as the data collected will be automatically transferred from the community to their clinician. Another advantage is the collection of seizure data during sleep which would otherwise potentially go unnoticed.
The new trial involves researchers in FutureNeuro and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in conjunction with epilepsy services at Beaumont Hospital and Cork University Hospital - and is being led by Professors Norman Delanty (Consultant Neurologist at Beaumont Hospital) and Danny Costello (Consultant Neurologist at Cork University Hospital. The trial involves multiple sites across Europe, with Irish epilepsy patients making up more than half of those enrolled.
UNEEG EpiSight has been developed by the Danish medical technology company - UNEEG; and the device can monitor brain activity for up to 36 months in people with epilepsy.
The beginning of this new trial comes following the recent publication of positive findings regarding the use of an earlier version of this technology. The research was once again undertaken by Irish based researchers and led by Dr. Tudor Munteanu and Professor Norman Delanty.
Nine participants with drug-resistant idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE) took part in the study. Each participant was implanted with the device and underwent a brief inpatient test for video EEG testing to map and compare their seizure patterns. After this, the participants went home with the device still implanted for long-term monitoring.
The results were highly encouraging. The device successfully detected all recorded convulsive seizures, and identified around 90% of the more significant abnormal electrical activity in the brain (non-convulsive spike-and-wave discharges lasting longer than three seconds). Participants reported that the device was easy to use, comfortable to wear, and with minimal side effects. Neurosurgeons responsible the implantation of the device also described the procedure as straightforward and safe, with no significant complications.
This research was recently published in the leading epilepsy medical journal, Epilepsia - and you can read this in full by visiting the 'Epilepsia' website.
Speaking about the new trial, Professor Norman Delanty said:
This trial will help us better understand the clinical impact of long-term brain monitoring, with the potential for significant downstream benefits—such as reducing inpatient admissions, shortening time to diagnosis, and avoiding unnecessary treatments. By improving diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, this type of technology could ease pressure on epilepsy services, support better resource allocation, and ultimately lead to more personalised and cost-effective care for patients.
Prof Danny Costello added:
This diagnostic tool holds significant potential for clinical care. It could help detect seizures that go unrecognised, provide a clearer picture of seizure frequency, and reveal the cumulative impact on brain function. Just as importantly, it may offer reassurance when seizures are well-controlled and help distinguish between epileptic seizures and other events. The potential to monitor brain activity long-term, outside of hospital, is an important step forward.
With one of Epilepsy Ireland's key advocacy priorities being to improve epilepsy services and infrastructure, we know this trial will be of keen interest to our community and is something we will continue to liaise with researchers on to follow its progress. Our CEO Peter Murphy commented:
We are excited by the potential of this trial and delighted that so many Irish patients are involved, highlighting the world-class epilepsy research taking place here. Epilepsy is highly individual, and finding the right treatment often requires trial and error. The more accurate information clinicians have, the better the chances of identifying the right treatment sooner. This innovative technology could provide that insight without long hospital stays or lengthy waiting lists, improving quality of life for people with epilepsy while easing pressures on hospital services.
We look forward to following the progress of this trial and we will provide more updates when they are available on our website and social media channels. In the meantime, we would like to congratulate all our colleagues in the FutureNeuro, the RCSI, Beaumont and Cork University Hospitals for their work on investigating this technology to date - and wish them and the patients involved well for the trial ahead.
Once again, such a strong Irish presence in an international trial is another example of the world leading epilepsy research that is taking place right here in Ireland.
If you need any information or support around your or a loved one's epilepsy, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your local Community Resource Officer. You can find their details by visiting the 'Our Local Services' section of our website.