Sensor system keeps track of anti-epileptic medicine in saliva

This is the claim of researchers in Oregon State University’s College of Engineering, whose US National Institutes of Health-funded study is published in the Journal of Applied Electrochemistry.

Globally, there are an estimated 68 million people living with epilepsy, with around 3.4 million with the condition in the US, including nearly half a million children.

In a statement, Lael Wentland, a postdoctoral researcher at OSU, said: “With further development, our system could be used to empower epilepsy patients by letting them monitor their anti-seizure drug levels from home. From the data our sensor can generate, a personalised drug dosage can be determined, reducing the chances of toxic side effects from too-high doses and seizures from ineffective low doses.”

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterised by muscle spasms, convulsions and loss of consciousness in addition to seizures, and its negative impacts to physical and mental health are numerous.

“It’s exciting to be making progress toward a medical tool that people with epilepsy can use to improve their therapy and quality of life,” said Elaine Fu, an associate professor of bioengineering who co-led the research with Wentland.