Novel Smartphone-Based Screening Tool for Absence Seizures in Pediatric Settings: A Comparative Study With Video EEG

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Medical Technology
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Staring spells are a common pediatric concern, often leading to diagnostic challenges and misdiagnosis, such as Childhood Absence Epilepsy being mistaken for ADHD.
• Hyperventilation (HV) is a key diagnostic method for absence seizures, but traditional methods can be cumbersome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Eysz HV Recorder, a smartphone-based device, as a screening tool for absence seizures in children.
• To assess the accuracy of the HV Recorder in capturing and diagnosing absence seizures during hyperventilation.

Main Methods:

• Sixty pediatric participants underwent hyperventilation (HV) using the HV Recorder during electroencephalography (EEG).
• Two independent panels of epileptologists reviewed video electroencephalography (vEEG) and HV Recorder videos in a blinded manner.
• The study compared the diagnostic performance of HV Recorder reviewers against vEEG reviews.

Main Results:

• The HV Recorder demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity for detecting absence seizures lasting ≥7 seconds.
• Individual seizures were detected with 96% sensitivity (≥7s) and 86% (all lengths).
• Epileptologists showed high agreement when reviewing both vEEG and HV Recorder data, with clearer identification of events from the HV Recorder video.

Conclusions:

• The Eysz HV Recorder is a highly sensitive and specific tool for identifying absence seizures.
• This technology can assist clinicians in distinguishing between epileptic and nonepileptic staring spells, potentially reducing unnecessary referrals and misdiagnoses.