There are approximately 250,000 people living with epilepsy in Australia and 65 million worldwide. Epilepsy and the unpredictably of the recurrent seizures can impact the independence and confidence of people living with the disease.
While many people effectively manage the condition with their first or second anti-epileptic drugs, if it fails to be treated the chance of responding to further drugs is significantly diminished, leaving about 30 percent of patients with drug resistant epilepsy.
This means many people are faced with few choices which allow them to effectively manage their debilitating condition. There are also legal restrictions that can impact their job prospects and independence, for example understandably preventing many with epilepsy from even holding a driver’s license.
This grant will help the University to accelerate its work on a seizure advisory system for adult individuals diagnosed with epilepsy who want or used to drive a vehicle.
The system, NeuroSyd, aims at real-time monitoring and processing of brain-signals while driving, in a group of people living with epilepsy. NeuroSyd will be developed to deliver an early warning of the likelihood of an epileptic seizure strike.
Electrical engineering expert from the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and IT and Deputy Director of the University of Sydney Nano Institute Dr Omid Kavehei hopes the technology will bring independence to those living with epilepsy.