High risk of an seizure can be predicted up to 24 hours beforehand Risk of seizure increases when the brain’s two hippocampi begin to communicate with each other, researchers found Early warning can help those with epilepsy prepare for a seizure MONDAY, July 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of seizures within the next 24 hours can be predicted by watching for abnormal brain activity patterns in people with epilepsy, a new study finds. The storm of brain activity that characterized a seizure is presaged by abnormal communication between specific areas of the brain, researchers discovered. They say they can forecast seizure risk by analyzing just 90 seconds of these aberrant brain signals, according to their report published in the journal If validated, this discovery could help improve quality of life for the 2.
9 million Americans living with , researchers said. “Until now, the changes in brain activity and the sequence of events leading up to a seizure have been largely unknown,” said lead researcher , a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “By identifying one of those events, we can offer patients information that can reduce one of the most stressful aspects of epilepsy: the unpredictability of seizures,” Rao added in a UCSF news release.
Current methods used to predict seizures require data gathered over long periods of time, and accuracy varies widely based on the individual and the method being used. Some patients wi.