They will advise you regarding your existing medications and their doses. Your doctor will instruct you accordingly and may ask you to avoid caffeine-containing drinks 24 hours before your EEG. How do I prepare for an electroencephalogram (EEG)? It cannot read your thoughts or feelings. Sleep studies: These are often conducted to diagnose sleep disorders such as unexplained insomnia and sleep apnea syndrome or in a comatose person.Īn EEG only guides the doctor about electrical activity in your brain.Similarly, an EEG recording during brain surgery may guide the surgeon to perform the particular procedure. During anesthesia and brain surgeries: An EEG is often used to gauge the depth of anesthesia during brain surgeries.Brain death: EEG wave patterns may be used in some cases to record brain death.It can also help distinguish epileptic seizures from syncope ( fainting spells), migraine and psychogenic disorders.
Brain conditions: Miscellaneous conditions such as a brain tumor and brain injury may be diagnosed using an EEG.Sleep disorders: Various sleep disorders such as narcolepsy ( sleep paralysis), somnambulism ( sleepwalking) and periodic limb movement disorder can be diagnosed using an EEG.
Not only can an EEG confirm epilepsy, based on various EEG patterns, but also doctors can classify the condition as grand mal type, petit mal type, focal epilepsy or absence seizures. Epilepsy: The person will show typical wave patterns during seizures.Certain brain conditions affect these brain wave patterns and, thus, can be diagnosed using an EEG.Ĭonditions that can be diagnosed using an EEG include: These waves arise out of voltage fluctuations in the cell membranes of the cortical neurons (brain cells). To learn more about how an EEG may help with your diagnosis, call Texas Pediatric Specialties and Family Sleep Center or set up an appointment using the online scheduling tool.An EEG is a test used to detect abnormalities in brain waves or the electrical activity of your brain.Īn electroencephalogram ( EEG) is a test in which doctors place special electrodes over the scalp to measure electrical activity in your brain and record brain wave patterns. Both adults and children tolerate the procedure extremely well and if there are any special instructions, your provider makes sure you’re aware of them beforehand. How do I prepare for an EEG?īecause an electroencephalogram is a noninvasive procedure, there’s not much you need to do to prepare in advance of your test at Texas Pediatric Specialties and Family Sleep Center. Brain lesions that stem from tumors or a strokeĪny time your brain may be involved, an EEG can shed some important light.While seizure disorders like epilepsy are the most common reason for an electroencephalogram, the team at Texas Pediatric Specialties and Family Sleep Center also use this tool to diagnose:
If you experience any of the above symptoms, an electroencephalogram is the best tool for figuring out whether your brain’s irregular brain waves are responsible for the episodes. While most people think of a seizure as an episode in which your body convulses uncontrollably, which can happen, a seizure may also manifest itself as: Epilepsy is a problem in your central nervous system that causes abnormal brain activity that can lead to seizures. The providers at Texas Pediatric Specialties and Family Sleep Center primarily use an EEG to diagnose seizure disorders, including epilepsy, which affects 3.4 million people in the United States. The test is completely harmless as the electrodes are attached to your scalp using a special adhesive. The recording forms a type of graph that your provider reads to determine whether there are any unusual spikes in activity that may signal a problem. To perform an EEG, your provider at Texas Pediatric Specialties and Family Sleep Center attaches small electrodes to your head that record the electrical impulses in your brain. The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that’s designed to test for abnormalities in your brain’s electrical activity.