The human nervous system contains nearly 10 billion nerve cells. A significant portion of these nerves are found in the brain, while the rest are found in the spine and related nerves throughout the body. Each brain cell is in communication with 5000 to 50000 nerve cells. This communication between nerves causes electrical fluctuations in the brain.
What is an EEG test?
EEG test is a test that provides an idea about brain functions by measuring these electrical fluctuations in the brain with the help of a device. For
EEG, the electrodes are attached to the scalp and sometimes both earlobes with a special adhesive called paste. The electrodes do not supply electricity to the brain, they only measure the electrical activity in the brain. Therefore, EEG is not a painful procedure. At the request of the physician, it can be taken during sleep or while awake.
The electrical activity of the brain changes during sleep and wakefulness, while doing daily activities, looking at a picture or focusing on a task. Depending on the disease suspected by the physician, procedures such as sleep, wakefulness or looking at a picture may be requested during EEG recording. A brain EEG may be recommended by the physician to detect epilepsy or other brain disorders.
Before EEG, you need to make sure that your scalp is clean. Wash your hair on the day of the shoot or the day before and do not use hair conditioners such as conditioner or hair spray.
Do not consume caffeine in the 24 hours before shooting. It is recommended that you pay attention to these issues before shooting, as unclean scalp or caffeine consumption may reduce the quality of the test. If you have a drug that you use regularly, consult your doctor to find out if this drug will affect the shooting. For
EEG; Your head is measured by the health worker and the points where the electrodes should be placed are determined. Electrodes are attached to your scalp using a special adhesive called paste. Sometimes an elastic cap equipped with electrodes can be used instead.
The electrodes are connected via wires to a device that amplifies the brain waves and records the electrical activity on the EEG device. After the electrodes are placed, a standard EEG takes an average of 60 minutes.
Some huh The patient may need to sleep during the test to diagnose stasis. In this case, you may need to go to the test without sleep, or you will be provided with sleeping pills before the shooting. Tests taken during sleep may take longer.
During the test, you are asked to relax in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. During the shoot, the paramedic may ask you to open and close your eyes, do a few simple math calculations, read an article, look at a picture, take a few deep breaths, or look at a flashing light. During the recording, the electrical activities in the brain are transferred to a paper or digital media and interpreted by a specialist. In cases where sleeping pills are given, it is normal to feel sleepy until the effect of the medication wears off. If sleeping pills will be given during the test, it would be better not to come alone, and to have someone with you who can help you after the shooting. taken to determine whether When there is a brain disease, the electrical activity in the brain may deteriorate.
Diseases that can be diagnosed with this test:
· Epilepsy (Sara)· Brain trauma due to head injuries· Diseases that may cause brain dysfunction such as encephalopathy· Brain tumors· Brain inflammation ( Encephalitis)· Stroke (Paralysis)· Sleep disorders· Psychiatric diseases· Neuropsychiatric disorders· Memory problems· Dementia
It is a test used in coma patients as well as diagnosis of these diseases. Brain activity can also be measured to see if the comatose patient is brain dead. In some cases, it may be necessary to measure brain activity during surgery. In this case, EEG is taken during the operation and brain activities are measured.
EEG test is often used to diagnose epilepsy. However, because the shooting time is short, seizures may not always be detected during EEG. In this case, even if the person has epilepsy, the results are normal. �it may. Or, in healthy people, electrical activities in the brain may be impaired and may suggest epilepsy. In such cases, the physician should make a decision by evaluating the clinical picture of the patient. The patient's symptoms other than imaging will guide the diagnosis of epilepsy.
How to Evaluate EEG Results?
Results after EEG recording; It is evaluated according to the age of the patient, the drug used, and the situation at the time of shooting. If the patient has had an EEG recording before, the results are definitely compared and checked to see if there is any change. After these points are discussed, the EEG results are started to be examined. When evaluating the EEG results:
· Whether there is voltage suppression as a result of eye opening movement, · Presence of asymmetry between both brainspheres, · Presence of punctuate or multiple anomaly (disorder) in the brain, · Presence of proximal anomaly and its start-end points and type, if any, · Indicators such as the effect of deep breathing movement on brain activity are guiding for diagnosing the disease.
In line with these markers, a neurologist evaluates the EEG test and the results are sent to the physician requesting the test. You may need to set up a meeting with your physician to discuss test results. If the
EEG results are normal;
The waves in the brain vary according to the activity. For example, alpha waves are emitted when lying in a relaxed, eyes closed position. In addition, beta waves are seen to spread when concentrating on a task. If your brain waves change normally according to the activities you do, this indicates that you do not have a brain disorder. Abnormal test results:
· Epilepsy or another seizure disorder· Abnormal bleeding in the brain Sleep disorder Encephalitis (Inflammation of the brain) Brain tumor Necrotized tissue due to blockage of blood vessels in the brain Migraine tip use· May be associated with head injuries that will cause brain trauma.
The patient's clinical picture, age, lifestyle, complaints and EEG results are compared and the disease is diagnosed accordingly.
Is an EEG Test Risky?
Since EEG is a test that is not frequently requested by physicians, it is seen that it is not very well known by patients. Therefore, when patients are directed to the EEG test by the physician, "What is an EEG test, what is an EEG device, is an EEG test risky?" Such questions may come up. This test is risk-free, reliable and painless.
As it can be done without any stimulus, in some cases, some stimuli that help trigger the formation of seizures can be used to monitor seizures. Stimuli such as flashing lights and deep breathing for a long time can cause seizures in epilepsy patients. The occurrence of seizures during
EEG is important for monitoring brain activities and brain waves. In case of seizures during the test, the health officer performing the test intervenes with the patient. The healthcare worker who performs the EEG test is trained on what to do during the seizure and makes the right applications to the patient. Therefore, there is no risk to worry about during EEG recording.
Contrary to popular belief, electricity is not supplied to the body during EEG testing, only electrical activities in the brain are transferred to the device. Although very rarely, a small discomfort may be felt during the transfer to the device, but mostly nothing is felt during the shooting. To reach us, you can use the contact form on our website or call 444 0436.
Read: 3
