Amsterdam scientists develop brainwave smart cap for rapid stroke diagnosis

Neurologists at the Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC) have developed a swimmers cap that uses sensors to detect brainwaves, which can be used to diagnose a patient having a stroke during an ambulance ride. This makes it easier to rapidly provide the appropriate care to a patient when every second is needed, said the Amsterdam UMC, with the researchers' study published on Tuesday in the journal, Neurology.

Every year, millions of people worldwide experience an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, which is caused by a blood clot blocking a brain vessel. Immediate treatment is critical to prevent lasting damage or death.

The newly designed cap can detect an ischemic stroke and determine whether the blocked cerebral blood vessel is large or small. “This can ultimately save lives by routing these patients directly to the right hospital," said Jonathan Coutinho, a neurologist at Amsterdam UMC and one of the inventors of the smart cap.

Between 2018 and 2022, the smart brain-wave cap was tested in 12 ambulances in the Netherlands, with data collected from nearly 400 patients. The study found that the brainwave cap can accurately identify patients with a large ischemic stroke.

"This study shows that the brain-wave cap performs well in an ambulance setting. For instance, with the measurements from the cap, we can distinguish between a large or small ischemic stroke," Coutinho stated.

The cap is not yet available on the market. A follow-up study is currently underway, where more data is being collected to develop an improved algorithm for recognizing a large ischemic stroke in the ambulance.