EEG referrals are currently
accepted for patients with a clinical diagnosis of seizures
, where the result will assist in seizure or syndrome diagnosis and may determine the need for further investigation and/or anticonvulsant medication.
Why would a neurologist order an EEG?
Why it’s done
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.
Who can give an EEG?
A neurologist (a doctor trained in nervous system disorders)
will read and interpret the results. Though EEGs vary in complexity and duration, results usually are available in a few days.
Can you request an EEG?
An EEG (electroencephalogram) measures your brain’s activity. Brain activity can help your healthcare provider diagnose and monitor brain-related conditions like epilepsy. Your healthcare provider may order an EEG
if you have symptoms such as seizures or confusion
. An EEG is safe and painless.
How much does it cost to get a EEG?
The cost of an EEG Procedure varies. It depends whether you have or don’t have insurance, and sometimes what city you live in. Costs for an EEG Test can range from
$200 to $3, 000 or more
.
What are the possible causes for an abnormal EEG?
- Abnormal bleeding (hemorrhage)
- An abnormal structure in the brain (such as a brain tumor)
- Tissue death due to a blockage in blood flow (cerebral infarction)
- Drug or alcohol abuse.
- Head injury.
- Migraines (in some cases)
- Seizure disorder (such as epilepsy)
When should I request an EEG?
Why It’s Done. Most EEGs are done to
diagnose and monitor seizure disorders
. EEGs also can identify causes of other problems, such as sleep disorders and changes in behavior. They’re sometimes used to evaluate brain activity after a severe head injury or before a heart transplant or liver transplant.
What is the most common neurological disorder?
Headaches
.
Headaches
are one of the most common neurological disorders and can affect anyone at any age.
Does EEG show inflammation?
Less often, an EEG may be used to investigate other problems, such as dementia, head injuries, brain tumours, encephalitis (brain inflammation) and sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnoea.
What disorders Can an EEG detect?
- Sleep disorders (such as narcolepsy)
- Head injuries.
- Brain infection.
- Brain haemorrhage.
- Alzheimer’s disease.
- Degeneration of brain tissue.
- Metabolic conditions that affect brain tissue.
- Hormonal conditions that affect brain tissue.
What are the 3 types of seizures?
- absence seizures (formerly known as petit mal)
- tonic-clonic or convulsive seizures (formerly known as grand mal)
- atonic seizures (also known as drop attacks)
- clonic seizures.
- tonic seizures.
- myoclonic seizures.
What does EEG look for?
An EEG is a test that
detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain
. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto your scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity of your brain cells.
Can an EEG detect past seizures?
An
EEG can usually show if you are having a seizure at the time of the test
, but it can’t show what happens to your brain at any other time. So even though your test results might not show any unusual activity it does not rule out having epilepsy.
Why are EEG so expensive?
A set of electrodes connected to an amplifier. The EEG amplifier tends to be more complex than a regular amplifier because, as with all physiological data, it is
very noisy
. … And if you consider that they have around 30 electrodes each, the cost is driven up significantly.
How long does it take a neurologist to read an EEG?
The median review time for
standard EEG was 12.5 min
, and for sleep deprived EEG 20.9 min. A normal standard EEG had a median review time of 8.3 min. Abnormal EEGs took longer than normal EEGs to review, and had more variable review times. 99% of EEGs were reported within 24 h of end of recording.
What can an EEG show that an MRI Cannot?
The EEG, on the other hand, captures the changing electrical characteristics of a functioning brain, primarily those of the cortex. Conditions can be identified with EEG that as
a rule cannot
be seen on the MRI; therefore, the use of these studies is not exclusive but complementary.
