Systems and methods of limb-based accelerometer assessments of neurological disorders

Abstract

A method of detecting a seizure status of a subject includes collecting first data from a first accelerometer positioned on a first limb of the subject and a second data from a second accelerometer positioned on a torso of the subject, determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication (e.g., greater level of sensitivity or a lesser level of a false positive rate) by comparing the first data and the second data, detecting an indication of the seizure status of the subject using at least one of the first data and the second data, and generating an alert in response to the detection of the indication of the seizure status of the subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of detecting a seizure status of a subject, the method comprising:
 collecting, by a processor, first data from a first accelerometer positioned on a first limb of the subject and a second data from a second accelerometer positioned on a torso of the subject;   determining, by the processor, that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of the seizure status by comparing the first data and the second data, the better indication defined by at least one of a greater level of sensitivity in a detection of the seizure status or a lesser level of a false positive rate in the detection of the seizure status;   detecting, by the processor, an indication of the seizure status of the subject using at least one of the first data and the second data; and   generating, by the processor, an alert in response to the detection of the indication of the seizure status of the subject by:
 determining whether to report the alert based on the first data and the second data, wherein a greater weight is assigned to one the first data or the second data associated with the one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer that provides the better indication of the seizure status; and 
 in response to determining that the first data and the second data associated with the one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer that does not provide the better indication of the seizure status indicates a potential physiological event, weighting a value of the first data and the second data to confirm the indication of the seizure status. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of the seizure status further comprises:
 associating each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer with a position on the body of the subject to which the accelerometer is coupled; and   evaluating a performance of each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer during an annotated seizure condition of the subject.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of the seizure status further comprises:
 comparing the performance of each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer to at least one of electrocardiogram (ECG) data, electroencephalogram (EEG) data, or motion data acquired from the subject.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the seizure status indicates at least one of a hypermotor seizure event or a seizure event associated with Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy Patients (“SUDEP”). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer include a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the first data and the second data to a remote receiver. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second accelerometer is coupled to the chest of the subject. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer are implanted beneath the skin of the subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calibrating each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer by setting a movement and an acceleration of movement of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer to zero prior to collecting the first data and the second data. 
     
     
         9 . A seizure detection system comprising:
 one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 collecting first data from a first accelerometer positioned on a first limb of a subject and a second data from a second accelerometer positioned on a torso of the subject; 
 determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of a seizure event by comparing the first data and the second data, the better indication defined by at least one of a greater level of sensitivity in a detection of the seizure event or a lesser level of a false positive rate in the detection of the seizure event; 
 detecting an indication of the seizure event of the subject using at least one of the first data and the second data; and 
 generating an alert in response to the detection of the indication of the seizure event of the subject by:
 determining whether to report the alert based on the first data and the second data, wherein a greater weight is assigned to one the first data or the second data associated with the one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer that provides the better indication of the seizure event; and 
 in response to determining that the first data and the second data associated with the one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer that does not provide the better indication of the seizure event indicates a potential physiological event, weighting a value of the first data and the second data to confirm the indication of the seizure event. 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of the seizure event further comprises:
 associating each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer with a position on the body of the subject to which the accelerometer is coupled; and   evaluating a performance of each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer during an annotated seizure event of the subject.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of the seizure event further comprises:
 comparing the performance of each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer to at least one of electrocardiogram (ECG) data, electroencephalogram (EEG) data, or motion data acquired from the subject.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the seizure event is one of a hypermotor seizure event or a seizure event associated with Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy Patients (“SUDEP”). 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer include a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the first data and the second data to a remote receiver. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the second accelerometer is coupled to the chest of the subject. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer are implanted beneath the skin of the subject. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising calibrating each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer by setting a movement and an acceleration of movement of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer to zero prior to collecting the first data and the second data. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 collect first data from a first accelerometer positioned on a first limb of a subject and a second data from a second accelerometer positioned on a torso of the subject, the first data and the second data indicating movement of the subject;   determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of a seizure status of the subject by comparing the first data and the second data, the better indication defined by at least one of a greater level of sensitivity in a detection of the seizure status or a lesser level of a false positive rate in the detection of the seizure status;   detecting an indication of the seizure status of the subject using at least one of the first data and the second data; and   generating an alert in response to the detection of the indication of the seizure status of the subject by:
 determining whether to report the alert based on the first data and the second data, wherein a greater weight is assigned to one the first data or the second data associated with the one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer that provides the better indication of the seizure status; and 
 in response to determining that the first data and the second data associated with the one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer that does not provide the better indication of the seizure status indicates a potential physiological event, weighting a value of the first data and the second data to confirm the indication of the seizure status. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining that one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer provides a better indication of the seizure status further comprises:
 associating each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer with a position on the body of the subject to which the accelerometer is coupled; and   evaluating a performance of each of the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer during an annotated seizure condition of the subject.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the second accelerometer is coupled to the chest of the subject. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first accelerometer or the second accelerometer are implanted beneath the skin of the subject.