Has your doctor ordered an Electroencephalogram (EEG) for you? If so, it means they need to find the cause of your neurological problem and decide the best treatment for you. An EEG is a recording of the electrical activity of the brain that helps your doctor diagnose a variety of neurological problems, and determine if seizures could be the cause of your symptoms. By recording your brain's electrical activity, an EEG can determine if abnormal brainwaves — aids in diagnosing seizures and other neurologic disorders — are present.
EEG Sydney
In the EEG lab, a technologist will place very small discs onto your scalp using a special paste. The discs will be placed at predetermined positions on your scalp and a mildly abrasive cream is used to ensure a good contact. A gel will be put on each disc, which assists in being able to pick up your brain waves. These discs are connected to recording equipment with a series of multicoloured wires. The test is recording only. At no point during the test are patients exposed to electrical current. The recording systems used are maintained with the most up-to-date technologies and hygiene. To maintain the highest standards of medical grade hygiene all electrodes attached to the scalp are single use only and are disposed of after each patient.
Once the test begins, it is vital that you relax and sit or lay quietly. During the test, a number of special tests may be done. For instance, you may be exposed to flashing lights (following permission) and you may be asked to breathe deeply (hyperventilate) for several minutes. At the end of the test, the technologist will remove the recording electrodes and dispose of these to avoid any contamination between patients.
If your doctor has recommended doing an EEG test in Sydney, Neurology New South Wales is the best place to schedule yours. The technicians are welcoming and many patients find the test relaxing and this is encouraged given it promotes the best brain-wave recording. All EEGs at Neurology New South Wales are reported by a specialist in the field.
Video EEG (In-Hospital or At-Home)
In order to get a proper diagnosis, a long-term EEG test is sometimes required to effectively distinguish and manage seizures. The EEG is by far the most useful when recorded together with video and recording at the time the event of interest/ concern is occurring. Depending on the particular situation there are a number of options for video-EEG and the expert team of epilepsy specialists at Neurology New South Wales will be happy to guide you through these.
Specialists at Neurology New South Wales have access to a full range of EEG diagnostic capability. They have access to inpatient hospital based VEEG through the largest epilepsy centre in New South Wales and for patients who cannot get to hospital or in particular circumstances home-based video-EEG can be offered. In addition, ambulatory video EEG testing and home based video-EEG monitoring, records patients in their everyday environment, which retains the environments that may likely contribute to seizures or other neurological symptoms. That ensures more accurate data to support diagnoses, empowering physicians to create treatment plans that are better for everyone.
By wearing electrodes at home for 48-72 hours, doctors can monitor and capture your brain activity during typical spells/seizures, to diagnose and effectively treat you.
Our epilepsy specialists are happy to discuss the options that are most suitable for each individual case, and strive to find answers in situations that are often filled with uncertainty.