A pioneering project is developing an affordable, easy-to-use brain-monitoring headset that could transform how seizures and other neurological conditions are diagnosed and managed across the UK.
Dr Abhijit Das, Consultant Neurologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHTR) and Associate Professor at the University of Lancashire, is part of a team of researchers led by the University of Plymouth working on a project developing a wireless, dry-electrode headset paired with a smartphone app that will allow brain activity to be measured outside of hospital settings.
The team will provide expertise in headset development, digital biomarker design, and community-based feasibility studies.
By integrating digital biomarkers – algorithms that can extract clinically meaningful information from these signals – the system could support early screening, triage, and diagnosis without requiring immediate input from a specialist.
A prototype headset has already been successfully tested. The next phase will scale this into a validated, community-ready version, alongside the development of digital biomarkers that can support large-scale clinical adoption.
Just as wearable technology has transformed the detection and management of atrial fibrillation, this work has the potential to do the same for EEG.– Dr Abhijit Das, Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
“Just as wearable technology has transformed the detection and management of atrial fibrillation, this work has the potential to do the same for EEG (electroencephalogram) – shifting diagnosis from a hospital-based, resource-intensive process to one that is accessible, scalable, and patient-led,” said Dr Das, Associate Professor within the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Lancashire and Consultant Neurologist at LTHTR.
“Capturing meaningful EEG data is often a major challenge – especially in conditions like functional neurological disorder (FND), where multiple EEGs are often needed before an event can be recorded. This makes diagnosis not only slow but also heavily dependent on hospital-based, resource-intensive investigations.
“For communities in regions like Lancashire – and indeed across the UK – where access to healthcare can often be complex, costly, and time-consuming, this technology is a potential game changer and can reduce the existing pressure on neurology services.”
Every year, more than 100,000 people in the UK experience a suspected seizure, making this the largest neurological cause of unplanned admission to emergency departments. While epilepsy is often assumed to be the cause, many seizure-like events stem from other conditions including syncope, functional neurological disorder (FND), dementia, stroke, and brain tumours.
For communities in regions like Lancashire – and indeed across the UK – where access to healthcare can often be complex, costly, and time-consuming, this technology is a potential game changer and can reduce the existing pressure on neurology services.– Dr Abhijit Das, Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Diagnosis is difficult and delayed. More than 70% of initial EEG tests are inconclusive, leaving patients waiting months or even years for answers. The median time to diagnosis of epilepsy is over one year; for FND, it is five to seven years. Misdiagnosis rates in non-specialist settings exceed 30%. These delays cost the NHS more than £650 million annually and have a profound impact on quality of life, particularly when people lose the ability to drive or work while awaiting a diagnosis.
Currently, many patients in UK face long waits and lengthy journeys for hospital-based EEG (electroencephalogram) tests, delaying diagnosis and treatment. The new device aims to bring testing closer to where people live, supporting earlier detection of conditions like epilepsy, functional neurological disorder (FND) and even stroke.
Professor Terry, Professor of Digital Health Care Innovation at the University of Plymouth, said: “This project is about taking the EEG out of the hospital and into the community. By combining digital biomarkers with a point-of-care headset we can give people easier access to faster answers and better care no matter where they live.”
Fellow University of Plymouth Professor Shankar, Professor of Neuropsychiatry and a Consultant in Adult Developmental Neuropsychiatry, said: "Reports from the UK Neurological Alliance have routinely highlighted the stark inequalities in access to specialists.
“By exploring solutions that bring testing closer to home, this project represents a step towards levelling up neurological care in line with the NHS long-term plan. It offers renewed hope of timely support and fairer outcomes, and brings the hope of earlier diagnosis and more accessible care to communities that have long faced barriers.”
By exploring solutions that bring testing closer to home, this project represents a step towards levelling up neurological care in line with the NHS long-term plan.– Professor Terry, Professor of Digital Health Care Innovation at the University of Plymouth
The £2.45 million project, supported by a £1.9 million UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant, builds on earlier EPSRC-funded research. It unites a multidisciplinary team across mathematics, engineering, neuroscience, medicine, and patient involvement.
Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of EPSRC, added: “Diagnosing health conditions early and in a way that works for people’s everyday lives is vital. This project will bring engineering and health expertise together with the experiences of patients and communities to develop practical, real-world tools that support the NHS Long Term Plan. By enabling care closer to home as well as earlier intervention, they will help shift the system from treatment to prevention, improve outcomes, tackle health inequalities, and ease pressure on hospitals.”