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Computer Program Predicts Epileptic Seizures

By Nick Tate | Monday, 25 November 2013 12:23 PM EST

An engineering professor at the University of Texas at Arlington has developed a computer program that can accurately predict — by up to 70 percent — when an epileptic seizure will occur next based on the patient's personalized medical information.

Shouyi Wang, an assistant professor of in the UT Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, said the new program analyzes electroencephalography (EEG) readings from an individual, to predict future seizures. Such early warnings could lead a patient to use medicine to head off an oncoming seizure.

"The challenge with seizure prediction has been that every epileptic is different. Some patients suffer several seizures a day. Others will go several years without experiencing a seizure," Wang said. "But if we use the EEG readings to build a personalized data profile, we're better able to understand what's happening to that person."

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder, affecting nearly 3 million Americans, who suffer recurrent seizures.

Wang, who teamed up with colleagues at the University of Washington and the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for the research, said her new program could predict 70 percent of seizures about 30 minutes before they occur.

"As a society, we've gotten really good at looking at the big picture " Wang said. "We can tell you the likelihood of suffering a heart attack if you're over a certain age, of a certain weight and if you smoke. But we have only started to personalize that data for individuals who are all different."

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