Some untrained dogs detect epilepsy seizure scent in Milan study
Technology
Turns out, you do not need a specially trained pup to spot a seizure.
Researchers in Milan tested sweat samples from a 6-year-old female volunteer with epilepsy (some taken during seizures, some not) on 30 dogs of various breeds, both mixed and purebred, who had never met her.
Surprisingly, several of these untrained dogs could sniff out which samples came from seizure moments.
Milan researchers plan wider testing
About half the dogs picked up on the "seizure scent" better than random chance, and none seemed bothered by it.
The team now wants to test more samples from different people to see if this ability is common across individuals.
If so, it could open up new ways for using our furry friends' natural skills to help people with epilepsy down the line.