Tracks hidden seizures missed by diaries, a tiny under-skin implant is changing epilepsy care.
A small, coin-sized implant placed beneath the skin is set to change how epilepsy is monitored in everyday life. Developed through a collaboration between King’s College London, the Mayo Clinic, and UNEEG Medical, this device offers continuous, real-world tracking of brain activity in people with epilepsy.
Known as a subcutaneous EEG (sqEEG), the implant is inserted behind the ear under local anaesthetic. It records brain signals through a thin wire beneath the scalp, sending data wirelessly to an external recorder worn discreetly. During a 15-month trial, 10 adults with treatment-resistant epilepsy wore the device at home, collecting almost 72,000 hours of brainwave data and capturing 754 seizures.
Significantly, fewer than half of the seizures detected by the device were recorded in patients’ seizure diaries. Meanwhile, 27% of diary entries showed no matching brain activity, revealing limitations in self-reporting and highlighting the value of objective, continuous monitoring.
“This technology offers a far more accurate understanding of seizure frequency and timing than diaries alone,” said Professor Mark Richardson of King’s College London. Lead author Dr Pedro Viana added that the sqEEG enables long-term monitoring without disrupting patients’ daily lives. Participants found the device unobtrusive, with many wearing it for more than 20 hours a day.
Experts believe this implantable EEG could soon become a vital tool, providing insights previously unattainable with traditional monitoring methods.
