Point-of-care epilepsy diagnosis for underserved adults
Enabling Point of Care Diagnosis of Epilepsy in Underserved Populations
This project uses portable EEGs, an AI that reads EEG patterns, and a short questionnaire to help non-specialist clinicians diagnose adults with suspected epilepsy in underserved communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11204622 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have unexplained seizures or spells, researchers plan to bring portable EEG tests to clinics and emergency departments that lack epilepsy specialists. They will use a deep-learning AI trained to spot epileptiform discharges on EEG and combine it with a brief questionnaire to guide non-specialist clinicians. The team will refine the AI using EEG data and then test the combined device and questionnaire in underserved settings to see how well it helps make correct diagnoses. The goal is to let more people get timely, accurate diagnosis close to home so they can start the right treatment or be referred for other needed care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults age 21+ with recent unexplained seizures or suspected epilepsy presenting to participating clinics or emergency departments, especially in underserved communities.
Not a fit: Children under 21, people already managed by epilepsy specialists, or those who cannot visit participating sites may not benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let more adults in underserved areas get quick and accurate epilepsy diagnoses and start appropriate treatment sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work by the team showed their AI could detect epileptiform discharges on EEG and sometimes outperformed individual specialists, but using AI at the point of care with non-specialists is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mateen, Farrah Jasmine — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Mateen, Farrah Jasmine
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 below.