Seizure Detection, Prediction, and Forecasting

Abstract

Summary: Among the many fears associated with seizures, patients with epilepsy are greatly frustrated and distressed over seizure's apparent unpredictable occurrence. However, increasing evidence have emerged over the years to support that seizure occurrence is not a random phenomenon as previously presumed; it has a cyclic rhythm that oscillates over multiple timescales. The pattern in rises and falls of seizure rate that varies over 24 hours, weeks, months, and years has become a target for the development of innovative devices that intend to detect, predict, and forecast seizures. This article will review the different tools and devices available or that have been previously studied for seizure detection, prediction, and forecasting, as well as the associated challenges and limitations with the utilization of these devices. Although there is strong evidence for rhythmicity in seizure occurrence, very little is known about the mechanism behind this oscillation. This article concludes with early insights into the regulations that may potentially drive this cyclical variability and future directions.