Abstract: A method for monitoring a patient to detect the onset of a stroke, the method executed at least in part by a control logic processor, obtains, from one or more electrodes on the patient's scalp, at least a first brain wave signal pattern and a second brain wave signal pattern from the patient. The system compares at least the first brain wave signal pattern to the second brain wave signal pattern and reports a stroke, storing, in an electronic memory, a record indicating the time of the stroke according to the comparison.