About 85,000 people suffer from epilepsy in Greece, while more than 65 million suffer from epilepsy worldwide.
A revolution in its management epilepsy could lead to the integration of wearable technologies with occupational therapy interventions, as real-time monitoring and support provide the opportunity to increase the safety and autonomy of epilepsy patients.
«Wearable technologies represent a major advance in epilepsy management, offering valuable information for real-time monitoring, immediate support and personalized treatment. Integration of these devices with occupational therapy healthcare providers can improve the autonomy and quality of life of epilepsy patients”.
These are indicated Myrto Pataya Bakaraki, Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Attica and 251 Military psychologist at the General Air Hospital, Theofanis Dourbois in the announcement titledUsing wearable technologies to monitor and support epilepsy patients in everyday life”, presented by them 18th Panhellenic Congress on Epilepsy Held in Thessaloniki.
This announcement was based on a literature review that combined quantitative and qualitative data from several studies to assess the effectiveness of wearable devices in the management of epilepsy.
Pros and cons
The announcement notes that wearable technologies have emerged as promising tools for monitoring seizures and providing immediate support, thereby increasing patient independence and safety. At the same time it is noted that The integration of wearable technologies with occupational therapy interventions has the potential to revolutionize epilepsy management..
In addition, the data collected can inform personalized treatment plans, improving overall health outcomes. However, a number of issues need to be addressed, including its provision user compliance, device cost management and data privacy.
“Future research should focus on long-term studies to assess the continued efficacy and acceptability of wearable devices,” the published announcement reads, among other things.
The number of people with epilepsy in Greece is 85,000
According to the Panhellenic Scientific Association Against Epilepsy (PESE), which organized the conference, epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that affects more than 65 million people worldwide, making it one of the most common neurological diseases.
About 85,000 people in Greece suffer from epilepsy. Ignorance, social prejudice, unpredictable judgment, anxiety about the future related to education, work, family, driving, safety, and overprotection of children with epilepsy are problems related to proper diagnosis and awareness.
Lack of knowledge based on scientific evidence negatively affects the lives of people with epilepsy. Despite advances in recent decades, approximately 30% are diagnosed with epilepsy.