UK scientists have developed a “game-changer” brain-monitoring cap – to transform how neurological conditions like seizures are spotted and managed. Boffins led by the University of Plymouth have developed the prototype of a wireless, dry-electrode headset paired with a smartphone app – that allows allow brain activity to be measured at home.
By integrating digital biomarkers – algorithms that can extract clinically data from these signals – the caps could support GPs’ early screening, triage and diagnosis without requiring a specialist’s input. A prototype headset – resembling a water polo cap – has already been successfully tested. Now the team are looking to create a community-ready version.
The £2.45million project is being supported by a grant of around £1.9million from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Professor Charlotte Deane, executive chair of EPSRC, said: “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.”
The current project builds on previous EPSRC research and includes collaborations with Neuronostics Ltd (a spinout company co-founded by Professor Terry), Epilepsy Action, the Epilepsy Research Institute UK, FND North, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Lancashire.
Hannah Pickard, research partnerships lead at the Epilepsy Research Institute UK, said: “The Epilepsy Research Institute is delighted to support this important programme.
“Too many people experiencing seizures face long delays and uncertainty in accessing diagnosis and care. By bringing EEG into community settings, this project has the potential to reduce barriers, improve early diagnosis and make care more equitable.
“We look forward to working in partnership with colleagues at the University of Plymouth to ensure that people affected by suspected seizures benefit from these innovations.”
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.
Diagnosis is difficult and delayed. More than 70 percent of initial EEG tests are inconclusive, leaving patients waiting months or even years for answers.
The average time to diagnosis of epilepsy is over one year; for FND, it is five to seven years.
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.”
Dr Abhijit Das, Consultant Neurologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHTR) and Associate Professor at the University of Lancashire, said: “Just as wearable technology has transformed the detection and management of atrial fibrillation (a type of heart rhythm problem), this has the potential to do the same for EEG or electroencephalogram (a test that records the electrical activity of your brain).
“Shifting diagnosis from a hospital-based, resource-intensive process to one that is accessible, scalable, and patient-led.
“Capturing meaningful EEG data is often a major challenge. This makes diagnosis not only slow but also heavily dependent on hospital-based, resource-intensive investigations.
“For communities 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.”