EEG (electroencephalography)

Grant Regional Health Center is proud to offer local EEG services in Lancaster, WI.

An EEG can be used to help diagnose and monitor a number of other brain disorders. An EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy.

• It is safe and painless.
• Electrodes (small, metal, cup-shaped disks) are attached to your scalp and connected by wires to an electrical box.
• An EEG is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even during asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.

EEG Uses

Doctors use this test to diagnose epilepsy and other brain conditions, brain injuries, and sleep disorders. Seizures cause spikes on the EEG graph. Brain tumors or strokes make the waves slower than usual.

Conditions diagnosed by EEG

An EEG can find changes in brain activity that might be useful in diagnosing brain disorders, especially epilepsy or another seizure disorder. An EEG might also be helpful for diagnosing or treating:

• Brain tumors
• Stroke
• Epilepsy (Seizures)
• Brain damage from head injury
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain dysfunction that can have a variety of causes (encephalopathy)
• Sleep disorders
• Inflammation of the brain (herpes encephalitis)
• Sleep disorders

Routine EEG

A routine EEG recording lasts for about 40 – 60 minutes.

During the test, you'll be asked to rest quietly. You will usually be asked to open or close your eyes from time to time. In most cases, you'll also be asked to breathe in and out deeply (called hyperventilation) for a few minutes.

A flashing light may also be used to see if this affects your brain activity.

Sleep EEG or sleep-deprived EEG

A sleep EEG is carried out while you're asleep. It may be used if a routine EEG does not give enough information, or to test for sleep disorders.

In some cases, you may be asked to stay awake the night before the test to help ensure you can sleep while it's carried out. This is called a sleep-deprived EEG.

Download Sleep-Deprived EEG instructions

For more information, contact Destani Kieler, RRT/EEG Tech at (608) 723-2143.