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Find the best commercially available devices for monitoring epilespy seizures and alerting caregivers
Hello! Thanks for your question about the best commercially available devices for monitoring epilepsy seizures. The short version is that there are 3 types of epilepsy monitoring devices: camera, watch, and mattress. None of these devices prevent seizures and some appear to be better at monitoring seizures than others. Below you will find a deep dive of my findings.
METHODOLOGY
I went to the Epilepsy Foundation first to see if there was any information about seizure monitoring devices. Since you are looking to purchase a device for your mother, I am going to assume you understand the pros and cons of the monitoring devices. If not, the Epilepsy Foundation discusses such information. I used the manufacturer's website for specific information on the product itself and then used Amazon and other website reviews (where available) to find out more information about what consumers thought.
DEVICES
There are 3 types of seizure monitoring devices currently available: mattress, watch/phone, and camera.
CAMERA
A camera device will "record audio and video information from a remote infrared video camera. Information is sent to a smart phone and an app records and analyzes the video for seizure like activity." When the camera detects seizure-like symptoms an alarm is sent to the caregiver who can then take immediate action or return to sleep if there are false alarms.
SAMi
The SAMi sleep alert monitor is the most well-known camera based device. The infrared illuminators on the camera provides good quality images in the darkness, adjusts for normal nighttime movements, and sounds a loud unmistakable alarm if unusual activity occurs. It also logs activity and saves video so you can share it with a doctor later if necessary. The only problem with this device is that the free application only works with an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. The current version of SAMi plus the standard kit costs $899.
Although there are good testimonials on the site itself, I had trouble finding reviews of the actual product from users. Most mentions seem to be they purchased the device for peace of mind. Although if you or your mother owns cats prepare for some false alarms!
MATTRESS
Currently, there are 2 mattress devices available: Medpage and Emfit. The device is placed under the mattress around shoulder height and then sends an alarm to the caregiver if unusual movements are detected. Some devices are even equipped with a microphone in the event that there is verbalization before a seizure.
MEDPAGE
Medpage goes under the mattress and reports on unusual physical movement by sending a radio pager alarm to the caregiver. It also has a microphone that can pick up vocal signals of a seizure. Medpage costs £296.00 or approximately $373 USD. It does come with a 28 day refund guarantee and a 2 year warranty through the original site, which is a plus.
Although there are only 3 reviews on Amazon, it does receive a 4 of 5 stars overall. The major downsides seem to be it doesn't alert to seizures with little physical movement and of course, false alarms.
EMFIT
Emfit is similar to Medpage in that it "detects when a person has continuous faster movements over a pre-set amount of time and then triggers a notification. The system also notices light movements, thus making it equally suitable for small children." The website sells the device for $594 +$18 in shipping costs. The Emfit MM Facebook page has 2 5 star ratings from customers, but do not go further into detail.
The 21 testimonials on the the website itself all praise the device for alerting parents/caregivers to seizures that would not have been heard by the parents or detected by baby monitors.
WATCH
Seizure monitors in watch form are "wristwatches with accelerometers and in some cases GPS. These watch devices can detect repeated movements and alert someone by smartphone text, sound, or email." There are 2 well-known devices in this category.
EMBRACE
The watch monitors physiological data (sleep, movement, and autonomic stress) gathered from the person wearing the watch. Forbes wrote that, "Embrace, can be paired with a companion watch that a family member, friend or caregiver can wear. When the companion watch is in range of the user's Embrace watch, it will vibrate to alert the companion watch of their medical situation or status." However, the specs listed on the website do not mention anything about a companion watch so that would be something to check with the company. The watch costs $249.
SMARTMONITOR
The SmartMonitor watch seems to be better designed with epilepsy in mind. The watch will send a text message to the caregiver with the GPS location of the wearer and the wearer can cancel any false alarms on his/her end. The watch can also send an emergency to alert to a caregiver in situations other than a seizure and it can be programmed with reminders/notifications for medication, etc. Like the SAMi monitor, the watch can record audio and date for later analysis. Unfortunately, the website does not list a purchase price for the product. You can purchase a 12-month subscription plan, but you are required to fill in a contact form before any price information would be displayed.
The 26 customer testimonials detail how the watch gave the wearer a sense of independence as well as peace of mind for him or herself along with his or her family because of the alarm system that could alert a caregiver if the person could not do so.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, there are 3 types of epilepsy monitoring devices: camera, watch, and mattress. None of these devices prevents seizures nor are they approved by the FDA. Ultimately, the device you choose to go with will depend on how much you want to pay as well as the symptoms your mother's seizures contain (i.e. amount of physical movement). It will also depend if you want a product that will monitor for seizures all day (a watch) or only at night (camera or mattress).
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