Though epileptic seizures are difficult to predict, it can be beneficial to track their occurrence and to be able to let loved ones know when they occur. Parents who have kids that suffer from epilepsy are particularly concerned that seizures will strike when they’re not watching. Now a new wrist-worn watch-like device has been developed that monitors the electric current fluctuations in the skin, among other things, to spot signs of a seizure.

The Embrace device, developed by Empatica (Cambridge, MA) with the help of Rosalind Picard, a professor at the MIT Media Lab, has electrodes that press against the skin, a thermometer to track temperature changes, and accelerometers that detect motion. During a seizure, electrodermal activity goes up, driven by the brain’s electrical hyperactivity. The company has provided some information about how this metric works here. A rapid temperature change and signature shaking can also be picked up by the device. As soon as it thinks a seizure is occurring, the Embrace sends a message to a paired smartphone that will in turn relay it to loved ones.

Source:Empatica