Senses detect epileptic seizures: dog

1 of 1 Golden retriever / Marvin Stell.. / License

Dogs can determine when their owners are about to have an epileptic seizure by sensing subtle cues.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Process information >
	Sense signals/environmental cues >
	Disease

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Epilepsy detection devices.

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[Collapse all sections] Summary

"The British Epilepsy Association believes that epilepsy-prescient dogs such as these are sensing two very subtle clues to impending epilepsy attacks. One is a high-pitched sound emitted by epileptics up to half an hour before an attack takes place, which is thought to be linked to the abnormal electrical impulses in the brain that occur prior to a seizure. The other is an exceedingly faint odor emitted by epileptics at about the same time as the sound, whose origin is as yet unexplained. Both clues cannot be detected by humans, but can be discerned by the dogs' more acute senses of hearing and smell." (Shuker 2001:226)

About the inspiring organism

gray wolf
Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758
[Wolf]

Some organism data provided by: ITIS: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Epilepsy detection devices.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Medical

References

Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.

Senses detect epileptic seizures: dog

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