About This Project

Access to EEG testing is limited in underserved communities in Columbia, leaving many children with seizures undiagnosed. We are piloting a mobile phone–compatible EEG platform with AI support, to assess technical and logistical feasibility of implementation & to gather patient, caregiver, and clinician perspectives. By combining brief recording sessions, interviews, and questionnaires, this study will generate early evidence on how portable EEG can expand equitable access to seizure diagnosis.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Globally, ~80% of individuals with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries, where diagnostic and treatment gaps persist. Access to neurodiagnostic testing is limited in rural areas, where distance from hospitals and specialty centers delays diagnosis and care. Mobile EEG platforms, combined with tele-neurology, have emerged as promising solutions to improve access, adherence, and outcomes. Ceribell is an AI-powered, portable EEG headband and cloud platform that allows rapid seizure detection in emergency room settings. The BrainCapture (BC-1) is a full EEG device that can generate high-quality recordings even by inexperienced users. This project aims to evaluate clinician, patient, and caregiver perspectives on portable EEG, testing acceptability, and preliminary clinical performance in rural Columbia. Insights will inform strategies for integrating portable EEG into care pathways, particularly in underserved populations and regions with high seizure burden.

What is the significance of this project?

This will be the first study using cutting edge portable EEG systems with an AI-assisted diagnostic element in a rural setting in Columbia, where children in particular are faced with high epilepsy and seizure burden. This is in support of WHO's published plan to address global epilepsy gaps in care. The findings will be an important step toward validating a field-friendly, portable neurodiagnostic approach, helping reduce barriers to care in underserved and rural populations. By demonstrating usability for clinicians, patients, and caregivers, this project can inform strategies for implementing accessible, cost-effective EEG diagnostics and expand equitable access to neurological care where the burden of seizure disorders is highest. Importantly, we are starting with special attention to the perspectives that people have about what barriers this solution may help with, staying open-minded about challenges and gaps that may exist.

What are the goals of the project?

The primary goal of this project is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the mobile EEG platform among clinicians, patients, and caregivers in Columbia, including underserved and rural settings. We aim to determine whether clinicians and families find the system usable and trustworthy, and whether brief patient recordings yield interpretable data comparable to standard EEGs. Secondary goals include assessing preliminary caregiver experience, including reduced travel burden and willingness to repeat testing, and gathering insights to inform larger studies on clinical agreement with hospital-based EEGs. Reads from the device may be compared to the current gold standard for patients with existing diagnoses. Overall, the project seeks to generate early evidence supporting portable, field-friendly neurodiagnostics to expand access and improve care for patients with seizure disorders.