What is eeg test used to diagnose

However, there are times when meeting all the technical qualifications for brain death is impossible. For example, in severe facial trauma, it may be impossible to perform a reliable examination of the cranial nerves. In some patients, it may be impossible to do an apnea test, either because the patient is too unstable or because they have built up a tolerance for carbon dioxide, as is seen in some patients with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or severe sleep apnea. In these cases, additional testing is called for. Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP) Like an EEG, SSEPs evaluate how electricity flows through the body, including the brain. Rather than just looking at spontaneous brain activity, SSEPs involve the nervous system is stimulated by mild electrical shocks, usually to the median nerve. Normally, these shocks register as a signal received in the brain, which can be measured by an electrode placed on the patient’s head. The absence of these signals indicates that the brain is no longer able to receive these messages. Angiography In a cerebral angiogram, a contrast dye is injected into the vessels of the body, and the brain is observed on a monitor while the patient undergoes a series of X-rays. This allows for close examination of how blood is moving through the body. In brain death, the vessels of the brain do not fill as they normally would. Nuclear Medicine Tests Nuclear medicine involves the injection of a radioisotope into the brain. This isotope is a...

Seizures are unpredictable. When a person has a seizure, it is usually not in a doctor’s office or other medical setting where health care providers can observe what is happening, so diagnosing seizures is a challenge. Accurate diagnosis depends on taking a careful medical history and using brain imaging and other tests to assess abnormal patterns of electrical activity in the brain. • Proper diagnosis of seizures and epilepsy is essential for effective treatment. Diagnostic tests can help determine if and where a lesion in the brain is causing seizures. • The doctor will begin by taking a history —asking the person or parent questions about general health, and the seizures and their pattern of occurrence. • Diagnostic imaging procedures such as brain • More assessments by neuropsychologists, speech and cognitive experts and others can help complete the clinical picture of a person’s seizures and indicate what course of treatment may be most beneficial. Electroencephalography (EEG) Routine EEG: Monitoring of electrical signals in the brain with electrodes (sensors) attached to the scalp is usually first performed in a specialized outpatient clinic. These studies are interpreted, or “read,” by a trained neurologist. Clinicians can find evidence of abnormal electrical activity in the brain and figure out the type or types of seizures a patient is having, as well as the origin(s), by measuring brain waves over minutes to a couple of hours. Prolonged EEGs: If a routine EEG is ...

Knowing you’re having a seizure and diagnosing the The doctor would try to figure out if you had a seizure and what caused it. If another medical condition, like diabetes, caused your seizure, you will need treatment for that condition. If your doctor thinks you have epilepsy, they will probably order some tests and prescribe medicine to keep you from having more seizures. Evaluate Your Medical History When you visit your primary care doctor or neurologist, they’ll ask lots of questions about your health and what happened before, during, and after the seizure. It’s helpful to bring along a family member or someone else who saw the seizure. That person can tell the doctor what happened, since you may have been unconscious. Learn what questions to expect from your doctor Perform a Neurological Exam If you have spells that may be seizures, your primary doctor will probably send you to see a neurologist. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system. They will perform a complete neurological exam to find out how well your brain and the rest of your nervous system are functioning. Learn about neurological exams Perform Brain Imaging Brain scans refer to a CT scan, CAT scan, or MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging). These tests look for changes in the structure of your brain, like a tumor or bleeding. Brain scans can often see changes in the way your brain developed that could lead to seizures. Learn about brain imaging for epilepsy Assemble Your Heal...

An electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a test that helps doctors diagnose problems with the brain’s electrical activity, such as seizures. An EEG test uses a special cap with electrodes to detect the electrical activity of the brain. The EEG test is one of the best diagnostic tools for Doctors also use EEG tests to look at how other brain disorders affect the patterns of electricity, or brain waves, in the brain. In this article, we take a close look at EEG tests, including their uses and possible results. We also explain how healthcare professionals carry out the test and how to prepare for it. Share on Pinterest An EEG test can help with diagnosing and assessing a range of conditions. Image credit: Baburov, 2009. Brain cells communicate with one another using electrical signals. Certain brain-related disorders can disrupt these signals. An EEG test measures changes in the brain’s electrical activity. Doctors primarily use EEG tests to diagnose different types of seizure disorder. The tests can detect the presence of a EEGs can also help doctors evaluate other conditions, including: • confusion • • • infections • • sleep disorders • degenerative diseases • metabolic disturbances that affect brain function During an EEG test, a skilled EEG technician will place an electrode cap on the person’s head. This cap contains between 16 and 25 flat metal discs called electrodes, which measure the electrical activity of the brain. The EEG test is not invasive, painful, or harmful, and ...

Advertisements The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a medical test used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. A number of electrodes are applied to your scalp. EEG can help diagnose a number of conditions including epilepsy, sleep disorders and brain tumours. What is EEG good for? An EEG can determine changes in brain activity that might be useful in diagnosing brain disorders, especially epilepsy or another seizure disorder. An EEG might also be helpful for diagnosing or treating the following disorders: Brain tumor. Brain damage from head injury. How long do EEG tests take? Routine EEG recordings usually take 20 to 40 minutes, although a typical appointment will last about an hour, including some preparation time at the beginning and some time at the end. Other types of EEG recording may take longer. What is a normal EEG result? Most waves of 8 Hz and higher frequencies are normal findings in the EEG of an awake adult. Waves with a frequency of 7 Hz or less often are classified as abnormal in awake adults, although they normally can be seen in children or in adults who are asleep. Which is better EEG or MRI? In general, MRI is good at telling us where the lesion is, whereas EEG is good at separating normal and abnormal primarily cortical function. The topologic usefulness of EEG is limited, although it may be improved with computerization. What problems can an EEG detect? An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a noninvasive test that records electrical patterns in your...

Advertisements The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a medical test used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. A number of electrodes are applied to your scalp. EEG can help diagnose a number of conditions including epilepsy, sleep disorders and brain tumours. What is EEG good for? An EEG can determine changes in brain activity that might be useful in diagnosing brain disorders, especially epilepsy or another seizure disorder. An EEG might also be helpful for diagnosing or treating the following disorders: Brain tumor. Brain damage from head injury. How long do EEG tests take? Routine EEG recordings usually take 20 to 40 minutes, although a typical appointment will last about an hour, including some preparation time at the beginning and some time at the end. Other types of EEG recording may take longer. What is a normal EEG result? Most waves of 8 Hz and higher frequencies are normal findings in the EEG of an awake adult. Waves with a frequency of 7 Hz or less often are classified as abnormal in awake adults, although they normally can be seen in children or in adults who are asleep. Which is better EEG or MRI? In general, MRI is good at telling us where the lesion is, whereas EEG is good at separating normal and abnormal primarily cortical function. The topologic usefulness of EEG is limited, although it may be improved with computerization. What problems can an EEG detect? An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a noninvasive test that records electrical patterns in your...

An electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a test that helps doctors diagnose problems with the brain’s electrical activity, such as seizures. An EEG test uses a special cap with electrodes to detect the electrical activity of the brain. The EEG test is one of the best diagnostic tools for Doctors also use EEG tests to look at how other brain disorders affect the patterns of electricity, or brain waves, in the brain. In this article, we take a close look at EEG tests, including their uses and possible results. We also explain how healthcare professionals carry out the test and how to prepare for it. Share on Pinterest An EEG test can help with diagnosing and assessing a range of conditions. Image credit: Baburov, 2009. Brain cells communicate with one another using electrical signals. Certain brain-related disorders can disrupt these signals. An EEG test measures changes in the brain’s electrical activity. Doctors primarily use EEG tests to diagnose different types of seizure disorder. The tests can detect the presence of a EEGs can also help doctors evaluate other conditions, including: • confusion • • • infections • • sleep disorders • degenerative diseases • metabolic disturbances that affect brain function During an EEG test, a skilled EEG technician will place an electrode cap on the person’s head. This cap contains between 16 and 25 flat metal discs called electrodes, which measure the electrical activity of the brain. The EEG test is not invasive, painful, or harmful, and ...

Knowing you’re having a seizure and diagnosing the The doctor would try to figure out if you had a seizure and what caused it. If another medical condition, like diabetes, caused your seizure, you will need treatment for that condition. If your doctor thinks you have epilepsy, they will probably order some tests and prescribe medicine to keep you from having more seizures. Evaluate Your Medical History When you visit your primary care doctor or neurologist, they’ll ask lots of questions about your health and what happened before, during, and after the seizure. It’s helpful to bring along a family member or someone else who saw the seizure. That person can tell the doctor what happened, since you may have been unconscious. Learn what questions to expect from your doctor Perform a Neurological Exam If you have spells that may be seizures, your primary doctor will probably send you to see a neurologist. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system. They will perform a complete neurological exam to find out how well your brain and the rest of your nervous system are functioning. Learn about neurological exams Perform Brain Imaging Brain scans refer to a CT scan, CAT scan, or MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging). These tests look for changes in the structure of your brain, like a tumor or bleeding. Brain scans can often see changes in the way your brain developed that could lead to seizures. Learn about brain imaging for epilepsy Assemble Your Heal...

However, there are times when meeting all the technical qualifications for brain death is impossible. For example, in severe facial trauma, it may be impossible to perform a reliable examination of the cranial nerves. In some patients, it may be impossible to do an apnea test, either because the patient is too unstable or because they have built up a tolerance for carbon dioxide, as is seen in some patients with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or severe sleep apnea. In these cases, additional testing is called for. Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP) Like an EEG, SSEPs evaluate how electricity flows through the body, including the brain. Rather than just looking at spontaneous brain activity, SSEPs involve the nervous system is stimulated by mild electrical shocks, usually to the median nerve. Normally, these shocks register as a signal received in the brain, which can be measured by an electrode placed on the patient’s head. The absence of these signals indicates that the brain is no longer able to receive these messages. Angiography In a cerebral angiogram, a contrast dye is injected into the vessels of the body, and the brain is observed on a monitor while the patient undergoes a series of X-rays. This allows for close examination of how blood is moving through the body. In brain death, the vessels of the brain do not fill as they normally would. Nuclear Medicine Tests Nuclear medicine involves the injection of a radioisotope into the brain. This isotope is a...

Seizures are unpredictable. When a person has a seizure, it is usually not in a doctor’s office or other medical setting where health care providers can observe what is happening, so diagnosing seizures is a challenge. Accurate diagnosis depends on taking a careful medical history and using brain imaging and other tests to assess abnormal patterns of electrical activity in the brain. • Proper diagnosis of seizures and epilepsy is essential for effective treatment. Diagnostic tests can help determine if and where a lesion in the brain is causing seizures. • The doctor will begin by taking a history —asking the person or parent questions about general health, and the seizures and their pattern of occurrence. • Diagnostic imaging procedures such as brain • More assessments by neuropsychologists, speech and cognitive experts and others can help complete the clinical picture of a person’s seizures and indicate what course of treatment may be most beneficial. Electroencephalography (EEG) Routine EEG: Monitoring of electrical signals in the brain with electrodes (sensors) attached to the scalp is usually first performed in a specialized outpatient clinic. These studies are interpreted, or “read,” by a trained neurologist. Clinicians can find evidence of abnormal electrical activity in the brain and figure out the type or types of seizures a patient is having, as well as the origin(s), by measuring brain waves over minutes to a couple of hours. Prolonged EEGs: If a routine EEG is ...