Ultra-long-term EEG Monitoring in PwID

Many people with intellectual disabilities (PwID) have seizures. Electroencephalography (EEG), which measures the brain's electrical activity, is a key method of diagnosing and assessing seizures but can be difficult and uncomfortable for PwID. UNEEG medical has developed a very small device ('SubQ') that can be put under the skin on a person's head to track their brain activity without staying in the hospital. It has been implanted for 15 months successfully in people with seizures but not in PwID. The aim of this project is to use learnings from previous co-production work to test how well the device can detect seizures in people with mild to moderate ID and to assess its safety and impact on quality of life and behaviour. The project will also look into carer and clinican experiences using the system and its potential usefulness and cost impact. Having an accurate means of identifying seizures is particularly important for people with mild to moderate ID because they cannot always tell us about their experiences in a meaningful manner. This means that seizures are more likely to be missed or attributed to behavioural issues. Healthcare professionals will identify eligible patients to be invited to participate in the study. These patients will be diagnosed with mild to moderate ID, but will have the capacity to consent to take part in the study. The patients who participate in the study will have the UNEEG SubQ device implanted under the skin on their scalp. Ongoing EEG data from the device will be collected and be compared with seizure diaries. The project will also examine any behaviour issues and quality of life using surveys before implantation as well as immediately, 3-months, and 6-months after. The patients, their carers and healthcare professionals will be invited to focus groups to share their experiences with the technology.