At various times, the technician might ask them to open and close their eyes, perform a few simple calculations, read a paragraph of text, look at a picture, breathe deeply for a few minutes, or look at a flashing light. They are asked to stay still, with no movements, such as swallowing or blinking, throughout the test. The patient relaxes in a reclining chair or lies on a bed, with eyes closed. They can look like spikes, sharp waves, and spike-and-wave discharges.Īn EEG might also be used to confirm brain death in someone in a persistent coma. Ĭertain other patterns indicate a tendency toward seizures. Ī common example of this type is called “slowing,” in which the rhythm of the brain waves is slower than would be expected for the patient’s age and level of alertness. The healthcare professional can use this to diagnose the patient’s condition.Ībnormal patterns may occur with a number of different conditions like head injury, stroke, brain tumour, encephalitis, sleep disorders or seizures. Each wave corresponds to a particular area of the brain. The EEG shows patterns of normal or abnormal brain electrical activity. The healthcare provider can then interpret this reading to conclude the diagnosis of the treatment. The EEG machine captures the electrical activity which is amplified and recorded as a graph on a computer screen, or may be printed out on paper. Our brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even when we are sleeping. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a diagnostic test that detects electrical activity in our brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp.

Epilepsy eeg vs normal eeg