CHICAGO, IL — June 23, 2026 — The American Epilepsy Society (AES), in partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation and Danny Did Foundation, have released a landmark joint position statement supporting the appropriate use of validated, non-invasive seizure detection and alerting devices (SD/ADs) as part of comprehensive epilepsy care.
The statement represents the first unified guidance on seizure detection technologies from these three leading US-based epilepsy organizations and reflects growing evidence that these devices can play an important role in improving safety and quality of life for people living with epilepsy and their caregivers.
Approximately 3.4 million Americans live with epilepsy, and nearly one-third continue to experience seizures despite treatment. For many of these individuals, ongoing seizures increase the risk of injury, emergency medical events, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). As seizure detection technologies have rapidly evolved, clinicians, patients, and families have increasingly sought guidance on how and when these devices should be used.
"Seizure detection and alerting devices are becoming an important component of individualized epilepsy care and safety planning," said Jennifer Hopp, MD, FAES, Professor of Neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-senior author of the statement. "This position statement provides clinicians and families with evidence-based guidance while recognizing both the promise and limitations of current technologies."
The statement was developed by a multidisciplinary panel of clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, and epilepsy experts from leading academic medical centers and organizations across the United States. Caitlin Grzeskowiak, PhD, of the Epilepsy Foundation and Sasha Alick-Lindstrom, MD, MPH, FAAN, FACNS, FAES of UT Southwestern Medical Center served as co-first authors, with Jennifer Hopp, MD, FAES, and Jacqueline French, MD, FAES, of NYU Langone Health serving as co-senior authors.
The position statement supports the use of validated, non-invasive seizure detection and alerting technologies—including wearable devices, bed sensors, audio/video monitoring systems, and EEG-based devices—when incorporated into individualized epilepsy safety plans. The organizations emphasize that these technologies should be considered through a shared decision-making process involving patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers.
Among its key recommendations, the statement:
- Endorses the appropriate use of validated seizure detection and alerting devices as part of individualized epilepsy safety planning.
- Calls on public and private insurers to provide coverage for clinically appropriate devices as medically necessary care for individuals with refractory epilepsy.
- Encourages clinicians to stay informed about available device types, capabilities, and limitations.
- Recommends identifying patients who may derive the greatest benefit, particularly those with nocturnal convulsive seizures, limited supervision, or elevated safety risks.
- Supports counseling patients and caregivers on realistic expectations regarding device performance and appropriate use.
- Does not endorse any specific commercial product.
"Families and clinicians are navigating a rapidly expanding marketplace of seizure detection technologies," said Jacqueline French, MD, FAES, Professor of Neurology at NYU Langone Health, Medical Director of the Epilepsy Foundation, and co-senior author of the statement. "Our goal is to help ensure that decisions are guided by evidence, patient needs, and clinical judgment—not marketing claims."
The statement also distinguishes FDA-cleared and clinically validated seizure detection devices from general consumer monitoring products that have not been specifically studied or regulated for seizure detection. The authors note that while some technologies have demonstrated effectiveness in detecting tonic-clonic (convulsive) seizures and providing timely caregiver alerts, device performance and reliability varies and should be discussed openly with patients and families.
Importantly, the organizations acknowledge that seizure detection devices are not a substitute for medical treatment and have important limitations that must be discussed with patients and caregivers. Current evidence does not demonstrate that these devices prevent SUDEP. Many perform best in detecting convulsive seizures and may be less effective for other seizure types. Users may also experience false alarms, missed detections, technical limitations, and concerns related to privacy and data security.
Despite these limitations, evidence suggests that seizure detection and alerting devices can provide meaningful benefits, including improved nocturnal safety, reduced caregiver anxiety and burden, real-time notification of seizure activity, and objective seizure frequency data that can support clinical decision-making.
"The release of this statement reflects a shared commitment across the epilepsy community to advancing patient-centered care and improving access to tools that may enhance safety and quality of life," said Jack Parent, MD, FAES, President of the American Epilepsy Society, "People with epilepsy and their caregivers deserve access to evidence-based technologies that can help them manage the challenges of living with epilepsy."
The full position statement is published in Epilepsy Currents and is available through the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, and Danny Did Foundation.