Point-of-Care Electroencephalography in Acute Neurological Care: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Technology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Conventional EEG (conv-EEG) has limitations in acute settings, including slow accessibility.
• Point-of-care electroencephalography (POC-EEG) systems offer rapid, reduced-montage neurophysiological assessments.
• There is a need to evaluate the clinical utility of POC-EEG in critical neurological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical impact, diagnostic performance, and feasibility of POC-EEG systems.
• To assess POC-EEG applications in non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and delirium.
• To identify current challenges and future research directions for POC-EEG.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Medline, Scopus, and Embase.
• Sixty-nine studies evaluating 15 different POC-EEG devices were included in the review.
• Data synthesis focused on diagnostic accuracy, clinical impact, and feasibility across various acute neurological conditions.

Main Results:

• POC-EEG facilitates rapid diagnosis and management in NCSE, TBI, stroke, and delirium.
• AI-assisted tools improve POC-EEG interpretability and accessibility, even for non-experts.
• POC-EEG supports triage, reduces hospital stays and costs, and aids in predicting recovery from TBI.

Conclusions:

• POC-EEG is a valuable screening tool in acute neurological care, improving efficiency and outcomes.
• AI integration enhances POC-EEG's diagnostic capabilities and clinical utility.
• Further research is needed to address diagnostic variability, technical limitations, and AI optimization.