Making Sense Out of an EEG - Epilepsy Foundation
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. EEG reports can be confusing when terms refer to where seizure activity may be arising or spreading. Generalized activity would mean that the electrical activity is affecting both sides of the brain.
Electroencephalography (EEG) for Epilepsy | Brain Patterns
EEG is the name commonly used for electroencephalography (e-LEK-tro-en-SEF-uh-LOG-rah-fee). EEG is an important test for diagnosing epilepsy because it records the electrical activity of the brain. It is safe and painless. Electrodes (small, metal, cup-shaped disks) are attached to your scalp and connected by wires to an electrical box.
Video EEG Test | Diagnosing Seizures | Epilepsy Foundation
A video EEG (electroencephalograph) records what you are doing or experiencing on video while an EEG test records the electrical activity of the brain or brainwaves. The purpose is to be able to see what happens when you have a seizure or an event that is suspected to be a seizure. The video is compared to what the EEG records at the same time.
Diagnosis Through an Ambulatory EEG | Epilepsy Foundation
To record seizure activity, a longer EEG recording with times that you are both awake and asleep may be needed. When this test is done at home, it's called an ambulatory EEG. ("Ambulatory" [AM-byew-lah-TOR-ee] means able to walk around.) An ambulatory EEG may be done if you continue to have seizures after trying various seizure medications. The ...
What if the EEG is Normal? - Epilepsy Foundation
During a seizure, the electrical activity is abnormal. Once the seizure is over, the brain rapidly returns to normal in most individuals. When an EEG is done several hours or even days later, it misses the changes in electrical activity that occurred during the actual seizure. The likelihood of recording a seizure during a routine EEG is small.
How to Read an EEG - Epilepsy Foundation
Being able to locate the origin of electrical activity ("localization") is critical to being able to interpret the EEG tracings meaningfully. Localizing normal or abnormal brain waves in bipolar montages is usually accomplished by identifying "phase reversal," a deflection of the two channels within a chain pointing to opposite directions.
What Happens During a Seizure? - Epilepsy Foundation
The middle of a seizure is often called the ictal phase. It’s the period of time from the first symptoms (including an aura) to the end of the seizure activity, This correlates with the electrical seizure activity in the brain. Sometimes the visible symptoms last longer than the seizure activity on …
Absence Seizures | Symptoms & Risks | Epilepsy Foundation
An absence seizure causes a short period of “blanking out” or staring into space. Like other kinds of seizures, they are caused by brief abnormal electrical activity in a person’s brain. An absence seizure is a generalized onset seizure, which means it begins in both sides of the brain at the same time. An older term is “petit mal ...
Seizures & Headaches | Treating Headaches & Epilepsy - Epilepsy …
The aura before a migraine is similar to an aura before a seizure. Even the brain activity detected by an EEG may be similarly abnormal during a migraine attack and a seizure. There is some debate among doctors about whether a migraine headache can lead straight into a seizure and be considered a pre-ictal headache. Headache as a Seizure Symptom
Types of Seizures | Epilepsy Foundation
A person’s level of awareness during a seizure: Whether a person is aware or not tells a lot about the type of seizure. It’s also very important to know for a person’s safety. Whether movements happen during a seizure: Seizures can also be described by whether motor symptoms occur. When no motor symptoms happen, it can be called a non ...