The usual EEG tests take around 20 to 30 minutes to complete, but the appointment for the test usually takes about an hour including the prepping procedures in the beginning and the end. If the EEG is not the usual EEG and includes some other procedure it may take longer than an hour.
If the EEG is abnormal, it means that there is an abnormality or an issue in that specific area of the brain activity. This abnormality and the area of the abnormality can give the doctors a clue on what the issue is and might help in diagnosing the issue.
EEG tests are safe and pain-free. EEG tests are deemed to be safe with no side effects. However, it might trigger the people who are affected by the condition of epilepsy, but proper medical care is provided for patients with that condition.
Yes, tumors can be misdiagnosed. Due to the patient experiencing similar symptoms to epilepsy a lot of the patients are misdiagnosed in many ways. This is the reason why in most cases, doctors opt for CT scans or MRI scans.
It depends on the type of EEG required by your doctor. Some EEGs are done when you are asleep and some are done when you are awake. Some EEGs even require you to sleep and then wake you up in a few minutes. This is done to monitor your brain’s activity during sleep and then when you are awake.
An MRI does not show any of the brain activities, it can only show if there are any abnormal growths seen in the brain and since it’s quite expensive, the doctors usually go for an EEG before opting for an MRI in order to see if there are any unusual activities in the brain.
No, they do not shave your head in preparation for EEG. However, if you have any hair extensions or toupees, they are recommended to be removed before the procedure begins. Only the area under the electrodes is cleaned in order to get rid of the excess oils before the procedure begins.
Yes. Since anxiety is a long-term disorder it is easily detected by the EEG tests. When the usual stress is seen in the EEG the same stress is seen at higher rates in patients with anxiety disorder. In recent studies, it is also known that anxiety can not only be detected by EEG but the levels of anxiety can also be differentiated in the EEG test results.
An EEG test may or may not show evidence of a past seizure. This improbability is due to the records of the interictal brain waves which are supposed to record the brain activities. These waves may or may not show the records of the past seizure brain activity which causes the inconsistency in the EEG result.
Headaches are known to occur as a symptom of seizures which are common for people who have a seizure disorder. People with seizure disorders are most likely to have migraine headaches after an EEG procedure. Sometimes the headache might be the only symptom of the upcoming seizure.
Yes. When a patient suffers from anxiety for a longer period of time, the anxiety can cause the brain to release the hormones which cause stress on a regular basis which in turn can cause issues such as headaches, dizziness, and depression. These symptoms can alter the EEG causing an abnormal EEG.
Yes. Since the EEG is a test that is done to predict brain activity. Mental illnesses which cause abnormalities in the brain’s activity can be diagnosed with the help of EEG. EEG is also used as a non-invasive investigation method that can aid in the diagnosis of psychiatric and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Here are 10 conditions that can be diagnosed with the help of EEG:
The EEG test can help in diagnosing disorders such as; seizures, epilepsy, head injuries, dizziness, headaches, brain tumors, and sleeping issues. The EEG tests are also used in order to confirm brain death in certain patients.
An EEG is used when a doctor needs to read the brain activities of patients in order to diagnose their conditions. The EEG test is also useful in conditions pertaining to brain disorders, especially epilepsy or other seizure disorders.
Yes. Since mental illness starts due to improper activities in the brain and EEG is a non-invasive method in which the brain activity is recorded, the abnormalities in the brain can cause the mental illnesses to show up in the records which in turn helps the physicians in diagnosing the patient according to their brain’s condition.
Yes. EEG can detect anxiety. When a patient suffers from a mental condition such as anxiety disorder, their brain tends to release the stress hormones in a very consistent manner. This continuous release of stress hormones causes issues such as headaches, migraines, and dizziness, which can be recorded and diagnosed through EEG. Therefore EEG can detect anxiety.
According to research, ADHD can be detected in 50 % of the people with ADHD due to their abnormal EEG results while the others could not be detected. Therefore, as of now, EEG cannot completely be used for the detection of ADHD.
Since the symptoms of seizures and brain tumors look very similar in the EEG result it is common to misinterpret a brain tumor as a seizure when relying just on the EEG result. Since EEG is also a test of low specificity and sensitivity, it does not contribute much to diagnosing the brain tumor. In certain cases, it might also delay the correct diagnosis.
An abnormal EEG result may be due to: abnormal growth of tissue in the brain, abnormal bleeding seen in the brain, or cerebral tissue death due to substance abuse. There are a lot of issues that these abnormalities can cause. It is best to check with the doctor if you have an abnormal EEG result.
The only drawback to EEG is that the resolution of the result is not precise. Since EEG reads the electrical activity near the scalp and a lot of electrodes are attached to the patient’s head to get the readings. It cannot be guessed which part a particular electrical activity is from. Therefore it takes time to diagnose the issue.
Yes. Since anxiety causes a long-term release of stress hormones which effects the reading of the EEG. Anxiety causes and abnormal EEG.
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