4 ms·
The fact that an odor precedes a seizure is interesting. Implies that there is some chemical buildup of some sort which also might suggest new ways of detection
by JoshTko 8y ago
The fact that an odor precedes a seizure is interesting. Implies that there is some chemical buildup of some sort which also might suggest new ways of detection, prevention or treatment.
- harveywi 8y agoIt is a strange coincidence however that the seizure chemical is the same chemical that causes a dog to bark.
- heavymark 8y agoWell it's odor they can detect and distinguish, and then can be trained to either bark and or take other actions.
- b_tterc_p 8y agoIt’s probably just that the dogs can detect a problem and are barking out of empathetic concern or fear (if not trained)
- iceninenines 8y agoDogs, being social pack animals who co-evolved with people, are very adept at reading anthro-socio-emotional communication because tens of thousands of years of survival depended on and reinforced it. It's also likely that they're not consciously aware of what's wrong, but sense something is wrong because of an association formed by the distinct odor preceding a seizure.
- bradjohnson 8y agoDogs don't need a chemical to make them bark.
- turkeysandwich 8y agoThis study doesn't establish that an odor precedes a seizure. They took the samples from someone who was in the middle of a seizure or shortly afterwards.
- duskwuff 8y agoThis study doesn't establish that, no. But there is considerable anecdotal evidence of service animals that can alert well in advance of a seizure, before the patient is aware of any prodromal symptoms. (For example: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19522755 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19522755)
- papermill 8y agoThat's interesting but how do we know it due to smell rather than sound or other senses? I've read that dogs and other animals can also anticipate earthquakes because they can hear or feel the earthquake earlier than humans.