In a sleep-deprived EEG you will be asked to not sleep the night before the test so you are more likely to fall asleep during the day. The electrical activity in our brains is different when we are asleep or awake. You might be asked to breathe deeply, look at a flashing light or open and close your eyes. Sometimes, you might need to wear the device for longer with certain types of EEG (see below). How long does an EEG take?Īn EEG usually takes between 30 minutes and one hour. Your doctor will tell you how to prepare for the test before you go. The electrodes are attached by wires to a machine which shows the electrical activityĮEG’s are not painful and you will normally feel perfectly comfortable.An electrode is a small round metal disk which can sense electrical activity in your brain Attach electrodes to your scalp using a sticky paste.Clean your scalp (the skin on your head).

When you have an EEG test you will visit a brain doctor called a neuropsychologist. Learn more: What happens in your brain during a seizure?‍ What happens during an EEG? Seizure diaries - you can use Epsy to record when and where seizures happened.Videos or detailed accounts of your seizures.That does not mean you don’t have epilepsy, but your doctor will need more information to diagnose your seizures. This happens with about half of all people with epilepsy who have EEG tests.

However, if you do not have any epileptic activity during the appointment, the test will come back as ‘normal’.

It might also show you actually have a brain condition that is not epilepsyĪn EEG shows what electrical activity is happening in your brain at the time of the test.

Your doctor is thinking of reducing or stopping your epilepsy medication.

Your doctor wants to learn more about your type of epilepsy.

If the patterns are unusual, this might be a sign of epilepsy.ĮEG tests are mainly used for diagnosing epilepsy, but they might also be used when: Your brain is continually producing patterns of electrical activity and an EEG is able to record some of those signals. It is short for Electroencephalogram and it is one of the ways that doctors diagnose epilepsy. An EEG is a recording of electrical activity in your brain.

Eeg seizure vs normal