When you are looking at the various solutions and apps available on the market that could help manage your epilepsy or that of a loved one, it is important to have a well-rounded understanding and appreciation of their benefits, but also their limitations. This, in turn, will help you make the most informed choice of product for your needs.

 

You may, for example, have taken note of the Inspyre assistive technology app. This solution works on the basis of tracking and monitoring the movements of someone who uses it with a compatible device. It also sends notifications in the event of unusual motion patterns being detected.

 

A key aspect of the Inspyre app is its repetitive shaking motion alert functionality. This means that the app not only identifies repetitive shaking motion, but also sends out alerts to loved ones with a text message and call.

 

Repetitive shaking detection can be a greatly useful feature

 

There are, of course, many different monitors, alert devices, and apps on the market that offer a repetitive shaking motion alert feature like the one Inspyre’s solution offers. So, what we are about to say is generalised advice, instead of being focused on any one product.

 

First, the good news: given that repeated shaking movements may indeed indicate that the user of a particular monitor or app is experiencing a seizure, this can be a very useful feature to have in your chosen product. It can be especially useful for the detection of not only tonic-clonic seizures, but also – provided that there is sufficient movement involved – focal motor seizures.

 

If, then, the user of the app or device is experiencing a seizure that causes them to make big repeated movements, an associated repetitive shaking motion alert can ensure that loved ones or caregivers are swiftly made aware of the situation and can provide assistance.

 

There are, however, certain limitations to these popular solutions

 

Here’s the big downside to be aware of when you see any product being advertised as having a repetitive shaking motion alert feature: this functionality, on its own, cannot be depended on to detect all types of seizures. If the app or monitor user’s seizures don’t involve big repeated movements, the device probably won’t be triggered.

 

This gives you all the more reason, if you are considering investing in such a monitor or app, to carefully scrutinise the full list of functionalities that the given product offers.

 

The Inspyre app, for instance, captures wide-ranging data about the user’s movements and activity, encompassing such aspects as the time, date, location, severity, and duration of movements, as well as heart rate, and any symptoms that the user reports.

 

So, as useful as repetitive shaking motion alert functionality can be, Inspyre does not solely rely on this in order to support the health, safety, and wellbeing of those with epilepsy.

 

Would you like to have a more in-depth conversation with our team at Epilepsy Solutions about the various solutions available, so that you can be more confident about the device or app you ultimately choose? If so, you are very welcome to reach out to us for advice today.