Principal Investigator
Nóra Murphy, University College Cork (Academic Supervisor: Dr. Cian McCafferty, Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience)
Investment
€90,800, over four years of which €45,200 is provided by Epilepsy Ireland. The project is funded by the Research Ireland Enterprise Partnership Scheme.
About the Project
One of the most challenging aspects of epilepsy is the unpredictability of seizures. This unpredictability can impact safety - making activities like driving, swimming, or climbing dangerous - and can also lead to “anticipatory anxiety”, where people live in fear of when the next seizure might strike.
This project aims to lay the groundwork for seizure early-warning systems by studying patterns in brain activity recorded by electroencephalography (EEG). Using multiple large, open-access EEG databases, the research will explore whether there are measurable changes in brain signals, such as shifts in brainwave power, rhythmicity, or connectivity, just before a seizure starts. If promising patterns are found, the project will test whether a machine-learning model can use them to distinguish between normal brain activity and activity that signals a seizure is about to happen. The system’s priorities will be shaped by the results of a national survey developed with a Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) panel, to understand what people with epilepsy, their families, and clinicians want most from a seizure warning tool.
It is hoped that if these pre-seizure signals can be reliably detected, they could form the basis for future wearable devices that warn people of an oncoming seizure, allowing them to take steps to stay safe.