Seizures are often scary to witness, but some seizures can also be silent and undetectable. These seizures are called non-convulsive seizures, and they can cause severe neurological damage. “Oftentimes, seizures are painless,” said Dr. Allie Massaro, medical director of neuro intensive care at Providence Swedish. “Most of the time, the patient goes unconscious, so they have no awareness of what’s happening. It’s really just the neurons of the brain are firing uncontrollably.” Swedish has found that one-quarter to one-third of patients in the ICU are at risk for non-convulsive seizures or status epilepticus at any time. Status epilepticus is when a patient has multiple seizures, and they don’t return to a normal level of consciousness. “If we can recognize seizures early and treat them early, we can help mitigate some of that downstream brain damage,” Dr. Massaro said. An EEG is the cornerstone of diagnosis. Traditionally, this test is labor intensive. A specialized technician glues electrodes to a patient’s head, and these electrodes all have cables that send data to a monitor to measure normal brain activity. Ceribell, a portable EEG that uses AI to identify seizures, is now making diagnosis easier. It’s a headband with 10 electrodes and a handheld device that displays brain waves, and it’s used in emergency and critical care settings to diagnose non-convulsive seizures. “We were the first healthcare system in King County to have this device,” Dr. Massaro said. Providence Swedish already has a well-established level 4 epilepsy monitor unit with the ability to care for the most complex epilepsy patients, and the team is now using Ceribell to enhance their ability to recognize and treat patients early. To learn more about seizure care at Swedish Neuroscience Institute, visit Swedish.org/neuroscience. Sponsored by Providence Swedish Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.