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.
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.
Why would a doctor 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.
What happens if EEG is abnormal?
Abnormal EEG results can show up in two ways. First,
normal brain activity may be suddenly interrupted and changed
. This happens in epileptic seizures. In partial seizures, only part of the brain shows the sudden interruption.
What does a normal EEG rule out?
An EEG is used to detect problems in the electrical activity of the brain that may be associated with certain brain disorders. The measurements given by an EEG are used to confirm or rule out various conditions, including:
seizure disorders (such as epilepsy) 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)
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.
Can anxiety cause abnormal EEG?
Background. Since the 1980s, a high EEG abnormality rate has been reported for patients with
panic disorder
.
Can a EEG show 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.
Can an EEG show 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.
Can a EEG detect brain damage?
The EEG may also be
used to determine the overall electrical activity of the brain
(for example, to evaluate trauma, drug intoxication, or extent of brain damage in comatose patients).
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.
How much does an EEG cost?
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 does it mean if EEG shows no activity?
The EEG — or electroencephalogram — measures the brain activity of the patient. 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.
What are warning signs of a seizure?
- Staring.
- Jerking movements of the arms and legs.
- Stiffening of the body.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Breathing problems or stopping breathing.
- Loss of bowel or bladder control.
- Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness.
Can an EEG detect dementia?
EEG can diagnose the two most common types of dementia
(i.e., AD and VaD) because both of these types are cortical, and EEG reflects hidden brain abnormalities [72, 73].
