Improving epilepsy diagnosis with an automated EEG risk score
Official title: EpiScalp: An EEG Analytics Solution to Improve Diagnosis of Epilepsy
Funded at Neurologic Solutions, INC. · NIH-11168672 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will use an automated EEG tool called EpiScalp that produces a 0–1 risk score from 10–20 minutes of scalp EEG to help people with suspected seizures get a clearer epilepsy diagnosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Neurologic Solutions, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mclean, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,215,146 |
| NIH project number | 5R44NS137845-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168672 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with unexplained spells or suspected seizures who are undergoing routine scalp EEG recording.
✕Less likely to help
People whose epilepsy diagnosis is already firmly established by other tests, those monitored only with implanted intracranial EEG, or people with conditions that do not produce visible scalp EEG changes may not benefit.
What this research studies
EpiScalp is an EEG analytics algorithm that analyzes short routine scalp EEG recordings and outputs a 0–1 risk score for epilepsy. The team will further develop the software to better recognize epileptiform signals and to distinguish them from artifacts that can mimic seizures. They plan to validate the tool using clinical EEG recordings and compare its results to standard visual EEG review by clinicians. The goal is to reduce delays and errors in diagnosis so patients spend less time on incorrect treatments or unnecessary testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, EpiScalp could reduce epilepsy misdiagnosis, avoid unnecessary antiseizure medications, and speed patients to appropriate treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous automated EEG and machine-learning tools have shown promise at detecting epileptiform activity but have not yet eliminated high misdiagnosis rates, so this work builds on promising but still-imperfect approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
Neurologic Solutions, INC.
Mclean, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gotshalk, Andrew — Neurologic Solutions, INC.
- Study coordinator: Gotshalk, Andrew
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
-
Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
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Epilepsy Data Ecosystem: A Big-Data Sharing Platform for Better Care
A national effort to collect and share large, multi‑modal brain data from people with medication‑resistant epilepsy to speed discoveries and improve treatment options.
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Exploring epilepsy genes in zebrafish to understand human brain seizures
A study in zebrafish will model human epilepsy genes to help explain how certain brain mutations contribute to seizures.
-
New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
-
Sahel Epilepsy Study: finding patterns in epilepsy in rural Africa and its links to genes
A plan to study epilepsy in rural Nigeria to discover how common it is, what factors affect risk, and how genetics may influence it, with results that could improve care for people with epilepsy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.