Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 20
Seizure Monitoring and Alert System for Brain
Monitoring in an Intensive Care Unit
J. Chris Sackellares, Deng-Shan Shiau, Alla R. Kammerdiner,
and Panos M. Pardalos
Abstract
Although monitoring for most organ systems is commonly used in in-
tensive care units (ICU), brain function monitoring relies almost exclusively upon
bedside clinical observations. As a result, a large number of nonconvulsive seizures
go undiagnosed every day. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated the clinical
utility of continuous EEG monitoring in ICU settings. Continuous EEG is a well-
established tool for detecting nonconvulsive seizures, cerebral ischemia, cerebral
hypoxia, and other reversible brain disturbances in the ICU. However, the utility of
EEG monitoring currently depends on the availability of expert medical profession-
als, and interpretation is labor intensive. Such experts are available only in tertiary
care centers. We have designed a seizure monitoring and alert system (SMAS) that
utilizes a seizure susceptibility index (SSI) and seizure detection algorithms based
on measures that characterize the spatiotemporal dynamical properties of the EEG
signal. The SMAS allows distinguishing the organized seizure patterns from more
irregular and less organized background EEG activity. The algorithms and initial
results in human long-term EEG recordings are described.
