An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a device that records brain activity. Your brain sends out tiny electrical signals all the time. Small sensors called electrodes are implanted on your scalp during an EEG test. An EEG machine is attached to the electrodes via wires. A specific paste glue or paste is used to adhere to the electrodes. You may still have a lot of glue in your hair after the electrodes are removed. Hair conditioner might aid in the removal of the adhesive. The electrodes pick up your brain’s electrical signals and record them on a computer. Only electrical signals are picked up by them. They have no effect on your brain and do not cause you any discomfort.
The electrical signals appear as wavy lines and represent your brainwave patterns. The EEG test at Seer Medical can only reveal your brainwave patterns at the time of the exam. Your brainwave patterns may differ at different times. If your EEG test reveals a brainwave pattern that differs from the majority of people, a highly trained specialist known as a clinical neurophysiologist can detect it. Some of these patterns suggest that epilepsy is a strong likelihood.
When do EEG tests take place?
An EEG is sometimes used to determine whether someone is suffering from non-convulsive status epilepticus. Non-convulsive status epilepticus can alter a person’s awareness or cause confusion, but without an EEG, it may not be recognized as a seizure. The results of an EEG can assist doctors in making the proper diagnosis and selecting the most appropriate treatment. They should always be read by a doctor who specializes in EEG interpretation. This is because misreading an EEG is one of the most common causes of people receiving an incorrect diagnosis.
Where do EEG exams take place?
An EEG is often performed at a hospital outpatient clinic. People with epilepsy have told us that having a companion during the visit was beneficial. The technique can be exhausting for some people, and there’s a small chance you’ll suffer a seizure during the test. It’s a good idea to think about how you’ll get home following the appointment. It’s possible that you’ll be requested to bring a small piece of recording equipment home with you. This will be demonstrated to you.
When a person with epilepsy has a seizure, they may merely notice strange electrical activity in their brain. For the remainder of the time, your brain activity could be completely normal. If your EEG test shows no aberrant activity, it simply implies that no epileptic activity is present in your brain at the time of the test. This does not rule out the possibility that your brain is acting abnormally at other times.
