What is this?
A wearable seizure detection device is like a Fitbit (the human activity tracking wristwatch) but it is designed to specific detect seizures. The human devices, like the Embrace2, have a sensitivity of between 80-100% based on in-hospital studies in humans.
What about dogs with epilepsy?
This idea has been on my peripheral vision for several years and I even did preliminary data analysis with a company looking for compatibility for epileptic dogs prior to leaving the University of Wisconsin. FINALLY, someone published some data recently looking at a specific seizure detection device. *
The Study Details
Thirty epileptic dogs were enrolled in the study; 22 dogs completed the study. The commercially available, collar-mounted accelerometer (as they are called), called a Whistle Activity Monitor, was evaluated in this study. They looked at the dogs over about 6 months and then performed analysis of the data.
Key Points
Sadly, the sensitivity of seizure detection was about 20% using the Whistle Activity Monitor. This means about 20% of the seizures were detected by the test.
This study evaluated generalized seizures. Animals with focal seizures would likely have an even lower sensitivity because focal seizures have less gross motor.
Clients using collar-mounted accelerometers for seizure detection and tracking should be cautious. This study suggests that a LOT of seizures were missed by this accelerometer!
Stay tuned – this area of research is going to explode. I am aware of one other study evaluating accelerometers for seizure detection (and other aspects of epilepsy). Clients want to use these products and WE want better reporting for epileptic patients so I think the search for a highly sensitivity detection device will continue. Just imagine, for a moment, you have an epileptic patient on your appointment schedule. You can simply download their seizure log from their activity device prior to the appointment (as vets we can sign in and review the data at will!). It is reliable, easily accessed, and the biased of reporting is removed! This is the future of seizure care folks! Bring it on…but first let’s get it right. 😊
*Munana, K, et al. Evaluation of a collar-mounted accelerometer for detecting seizure activity in epileptic dogs. JVIM 2020; 34(2).
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