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Study backs smartphone-linked brain tests for epilepsy
A 2026 study published in JAMA Cardiology tested an artificial intelligence system that uses electrocardiogram (ECG) readings to screen for impaired heart function in eight Kenyan health facilities.
A portable brain test that uses a smartphone to send results to specialists could help patients suspected of having epilepsy access specialised testing closer to home, reducing the need for long journeys to major hospitals, joint tests by nine organisations, including the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (Kutrrh) said.
The smartphone-linked electroencephalography (EEG) test produced recordings that specialists could assess in 96 percent of 3,036 tests carried out at 29 healthcare sites across Kenya, an outcome that could reshape how neurological diagnoses are done. Most results were available within one to two hours.
The study used the BrainCapture BC-1, a portable EEG device that records the brain’s electrical activity. It is designed for use in health facilities that may not have specialised EEG equipment or neurologists.
“The smartphone-based EEG technology displayed high feasibility in routine clinical care, with 96 percent of recordings being considered clinically interpretable by remote EEG interpreters. The device demonstrated high interpretability rates, rapid turnaround times for interpretation, and successful adoption across rural sites, highlighting its potential for use in settings with limited resources,” the report read.
The trial study also included researchers from Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen University, Danish Epilepsy Center, Psychiatry Hospital, Bucharest and Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, among others.
The development comes as Kenya continues to face shortages and an uneven distribution of health workers, making access to specialist services difficult for patients outside major urban centres.
According to Kenya's health workforce assessment, there are 0.89 medical doctors, including generalists and specialists, per 10,000 people, compared with a requirement of 7.7 per 10,000 people for 70 percent universal health coverage.
The shortage is more pronounced in some specialist fields.
According to the World Health Organisation, the median number of neurological specialists in the African region is approximately 0.1 per 100,000 people.
Kenya has 18 to 20 neurologists for a population of more than 50 million, meaning each neurologist serves roughly three million people.
The EEG system uses a flexible cap fitted with electrodes that pick up electrical signals from the brain. The cap is connected to a small amplifier, which sends the recordings through a smartphone to a secure online platform.
The recording can then be reviewed remotely by a certified EEG technologist and checked by a neurophysiologist. This means that the test can be done at a health facility closer to the patient while the specialist reviewing the results can be based elsewhere.
The researchers said the technology is intended to reduce the infrastructure needed to perform EEG tests, including dedicated recording rooms and the presence of specialist personnel at the facility where the test is conducted.
“The aim of the smartphone-based EEG technology is to reduce infrastructure requirements, including the need for dedicated recording facilities and expert personnel, while enabling data acquisition in decentralised environments,” the study read.
The model is part of a wider shift towards using technology to bring diagnostic services closer to patients while allowing specialists to provide support remotely.
A 2026 study published in JAMA Cardiology, for example, tested an artificial intelligence system that uses electrocardiogram (ECG) readings to screen for impaired heart function in eight Kenyan health facilities.
The AI-assisted ECG achieved a sensitivity of 95.6 percent and a negative predictive value of 99.1 percent, suggesting its potential to identify patients who may require further cardiac assessment in areas with limited access to specialised testing.
