Epilepsy Patients Help Develop a High-Tech Device to Fight Mental Disorders

Military personnel fighting depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder may have a new treatment option. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is investing $70 million to develop a novel device to address psychiatric disorders. The high-tech implant would have capabilities to both monitor and stimulate specific neural circuits. Researchers at University of California, San Francisco are studying volunteers who currently use brain implants as part of their treatment for epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease. By studying the electrical activity of brain cells in real time, scientists hope to learn how these conditions have changed specific neural circuits and discover clues as to how to “heal” these malfunctioning pathways.

http://www.ideastream.org/news/npr/316129491

Online self-management interventions for chronically ill patients: Cognitive impairment and technology issues

Web based support programs for the personal management of chronic illness have been proven effective however their impact is only realized if patients are able access and utilize these resources. Researchers from McMasters University found that cognitive impairment often co-occurs with chronic illness in addition to age-related increases in multiple chronic illnesses. These factors can lead to lack of technology efficacy and additional obstacles to potentially advantageous Internet-based support.  Accordingly, as healthcare and technology become increasingly integrated, careful attention must be paid to the appropriate design of online applications. See the full article below:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1386505614000185

Wearable Home Seizure Monitor Shows Promise

A new wearable device appears to be accurate in determining the occurrence and frequency of convulsive seizures. Recent testing of the home monitor demonstrates positive results in matching the performance of traditional, hospital-based methods for defining generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTC). Designed by researchers at the University of Texas, the lightweight device continuously monitors activity in muscles of the upper arm in order to detect the electrical patterns that characterize GTC seizures.  This type of constant surveillance could reduce the risk of trauma or sudden death associated with the severe GTC seizures by alerting caregivers and allowing for rapid treatment.  While further testing is needed, the current findings show promise for home monitoring that is both easy to use and affordable. Read the full article linked here: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/817700#1

SAMi: New Technology for Epilepsy Patients

Innovative new technologies are changing the practice of health care and treatment of chronic diseases, such as epilepsy. The Epilepsy Foundation has developed a device, called SAMi, which pairs with a smartphone application to provide active monitoring and detection of seizure occurrences in sleeping patients.  If the nighttime camera in SAMi recognizes sustained, irregular motion, it triggers an alarm on the caretaker’s smartphone. Additionally, all activity is recorded and saved. SAMi has the potential to provide a safer home environment and data to share with a doctor for improved future care.  Follow the link below to the full article:

http://www.medgadget.com/2014/05/sami-night-time-epilepsy-monitor-helps-track-night-time-seizures.html

POEM Study Makes National Headlines

The first results from the POEM study demonstrate measurable improvements in epilepsy self-management among U.S. Veterans. Check out the press release linked below:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-results-presented-from-study-of-us-veterans-using-a-health-data-sharing-network-show-measurable-improvements-in-epilepsy-self-management-257310041.html

Epilepsy Patients Help Decipher the Brain

Epilepsy patients are working with scientists at Stanford Medical Center to better map the brain. Implanted electrodes used to record the source of a seizure can also provide “functional mapping” of the brain. Using painless electrical pulses, doctors can locate the position of various abilities like vision or motor control.

These researchers are also working in collaboration with a Stanford music professor to translate electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings into sound with “human-like tones.” Their hope is to create a device that could act like a stethoscope for the brain, transforming brain signals into sound, therefore allowing doctors to detect non-convulsive seizures without surgery.

Read the series of articles and listen to the audio here:

http://blogs.kqed.org/science/audio/epilepsy-reveals-the-brain-in-action/

http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2013/10/01/what-does-an-epileptic-seizure-sound-like/

Internet-based therapy may improve disease control among adults with chronic health conditions

The link between physical and psychological health is well established and psychosocial treatment has been demonstrated to ameliorate the condition of patients with chronic diseases such as epilepsy. This includes improvements in self-management strategies such as compliance to medical regimes and reduction in psychiatric comorbidities like anxiety and depression. Internet-based self-help therapies are growing in number and popularity as they circumvent the typical barriers to treatment like transportation and cost. In the article, "A Systematic Review of Internet Based Self-Help Therapeutic Interventions to Improve Distress and Disease-Control among Adults with Chronic Health Conditions", investigators evaluate the current state of research regarding the efficacy of online educational platforms for a variety of diseases. In the 24 experiments considered, online interventions contributed to improvements of the physical symptoms in many diseases and were often as efficacious as therapist-led interventions. Read the full article here:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735813000445