Certain other patterns indicate a tendency toward seizures. Your doctor may refer to these waves as “epileptiform abnormalities” or “epilepsy waves.” They can look like
spikes, sharp waves, and spike-and-wave discharges
.
How does a seizure look on an EEG?
Certain other patterns indicate a tendency toward seizures. Your doctor may refer to these waves as “epileptiform abnormalities” or “epilepsy waves.” They can look like
spikes, sharp waves, and spike-and-wave discharges
.
What does an absence seizure look like on an EEG?
In the case of childhood absence seizures, EEG shows
bilaterally synchronous and symmetrical 3-Hertz spike-and-wave discharges that start and end abruptly
. These discharges can sometimes have maximum frontal amplitude or begin with unilateral focal spikes[2].
What do abnormal spikes on an EEG mean?
Spikes or sharp waves are terms commonly seen in EEG reports. If these happen only once in a while or at certain times of day, they may not mean anything. If they happen frequently or are found in specific areas of the brain, it could mean
there is potentially an area of seizure activity nearby
.
Is my EEG normal?
A normal EEG does not mean that you did not have a seizure.
Approximately one-half of all EEGs done for patients with seizures are interpreted as normal
. Even someone who has seizures every week can have a normal EEG test. This is because the EEG only shows brain activity during the time of the test.
What are the 3 types of seizures?
- Generalized onset seizures:
- Focal onset seizures:
- Unknown onset seizures:
Do all seizures show on EEG?
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. Some types of epilepsy are very difficult to identify with an EEG.
What does a silent seizure look like?
Someone having an absence seizure may
look like he or she is staring blankly into space for a few seconds
. Then, there is a quick return to a normal level of alertness. This type of seizure usually doesn’t lead to physical injury.
What are the 3 main phases of a seizure?
Seizures take on many different forms and have a
beginning (prodrome and aura), middle (ictal) and end (post-ictal) stage
.
How do you tell if you’ve had an absence seizure?
- Being very still.
- Smacking the lips or making a chewing motion with the mouth.
- Fluttering the eyelids.
- Stopping activity (suddenly not talking or moving)
- Suddenly returning to activity when the seizure ends.
How do you know if your EEG is abnormal?
The electrical impulses in an EEG recording look like
wavy lines with peaks and valleys
. These lines allow doctors to quickly assess whether there are abnormal patterns. Any irregularities may be a sign of seizures or other brain disorders.
What can a EEG reveal?
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.
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)
Can an EEG detect mental illness?
Electroencephalography, or EEG, technology that measures brain function could encourage
earlier diagnoses of common mental and neurological disorders
, including autism, ADHD and dementia, according to findings published in The Neurodiagnostic Journal.
What does a normal EEG rule out?
Your neurologist reads the EEG to look for clues in the brain’s activity that may help define the cause or type of seizure.
A normal EEG does not rule out the possibility of epilepsy
. In fact, since the EEG records only a 30-minute snapshot of the brain’s activity, many EEGs are normal.
What does it mean if EEG shows no activity?
Medical professionals have long accepted that a flat line EEG indicates an
irreversible coma
, one of the most serious types of comas. Furthermore, a flat line EEG is often an indication that the brain is no longer alive.
