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New technology could dramatically improve the lives of the 250,000 Australians and 65 million people worldwide who suffer from epilepsy.

Using the power of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, researchers have used a mobile, brain-inspired processor to analyse brain signals from retrospective patient data recorded under the skull, successfully predicting an average of 69%聽of seizures across all patients. This brings personalised聽seizure prediction for epilepsy a step closer to a reality.

With a third of epilepsy patients worldwide currently living with unpredictable seizures that are not adequately controlled through medication or otherwise, researchers at the and believe the technology could significantly improve the quality of life of epilepsy sufferers.

鈥淓pilepsy is a neurologic condition that can be incredibly debilitating,鈥� said Professor Mark Cook, director of the university鈥檚 and director of Neurology at .聽鈥淚t prevents some patients from doing simple activities such as getting a driver鈥檚 licence or swimming.

鈥淭his technology has the potential to improve millions of lives and reduce the physical, emotional and financial costs of one of the world鈥檚 most common, yet intractable chronic disorders.鈥�

Using the world鈥檚 most comprehensive epilepsy patient EEG dataset collected from electrodes inside patients鈥� skulls, Professor David Grayden, head of the university鈥檚 Department of Biomedical Engineering, said the technology has the ability to adapt to individual patients鈥� needs.

鈥淏y collecting data from inside the patient鈥檚 skull and combining this with deep learning and AI, we鈥檙e able to develop a system that can self-train, based on learning the brain states and signs that pre-empt seizures unique to an individual,鈥� said Professor Grayden.

鈥淥ur algorithm also allows for instantaneous and easy adjustment, giving patients the flexibility to control how sensitive and in advance the warning is.鈥�

While previous epilepsy prediction research has only been possible on high-powered computers, IBM Research-Australia鈥檚 Brain-Inspired Computing Manager Dr Stefan Harrer said that by using IBM鈥檚 brain-inspired computing chip, there is the potential to create a wearable, real-time patient warning system.

鈥淏y deploying the technology on a computing chip that is the size of a postage stamp and runs on the same power use of a hearing aid, we鈥檙e able to simulate how such systems could one day operate in real life,鈥� Dr Harrer said.

鈥淭he hope is that one day this research could help inform the development of assistive technologies that could not only warn people with epilepsy of imminent seizures, but constantly adapt to how their brains change over time.鈥�

Professor Cook said developing a reliable means of predicting epileptic seizures for individual patients was an incredibly complex area of research.

鈥淭his is in large part due to how epilepsy manifests itself uniquely in each patient, as well as individual long-term changes in brain signals,鈥� said Professor Cook.

鈥淲hile we still need to continue to build on this research before we can confidently say that we can identify any seizure before it occurs, these results have proven incredibly promising.鈥�

Image credit: 漏stock.adobe.com/au/Kaarle