An EEG, a common test used to check for problems in the brain, uses electronic equipment to record the brain's spontaneous biopotentials graphically from the scalp. There are many types of EEG, which are divided into ordinary scalp EEG, dynamic EEG, long-range video EEG, intracranial EEG, etc. Different types of EEG have different types.
How long does an EEG usually take?
Generally, the routine EEG examination time is about 10 to 20 minutes. If a long-term video EEG is performed, it will take 24 hours or even longer. Because of the different types of EEG, the examination time is also different. If the patient has mild head discomfort, a routine EEG can be done in about 20 minutes. If the patient suffers from epilepsy, the EEG will take about 2 to 3 hours, or even longer.
What are the types of EEG?
1. General scalp EEG
Ordinary scalp EEG mainly observes the situation of brain waves during the onset of the disease. The inspection takes about 10 to 20 minutes, and a preliminary judgment can be made.
2. Dynamic EEG
It is mainly a 24-hour EEG recording device, which can be used to understand the brain waves of patients in daily activities and work through 24-hour recording, and most of them are used to exclude epilepsy.
3. Long-range video EEG
This type can look at brain characteristics during the onset of the disease, especially when the patient's brain discharges during sleep. It can help to capture whether temporary seizures occur during sleep. It is generally used to determine the type of epilepsy and to evaluate before surgery. The inspection time is generally about 4 to 24 hours.
4. Intracranial EEG
If a craniotomy is performed, the electrodes are placed in the skull for EEG recording, which is often used to determine the location of intractable epilepsy that cannot be determined by non-invasive methods. Because the intracranial EEG signal is rich and the positioning effect is better, the interference of the intracranial EEG is very small.
5. Scratch seizure continuous EEG
The clinical seizures of patients can be recorded continuously and uninterruptedly, because some patients usually have unstable seizure frequency, and the disease can be judged by monitoring the EEG for several consecutive days.
What kinds of problems are EEG mainly used for?
At present, EEG is often used to judge epilepsy, mental diseases, brain tumors, brain trauma and other problems. EEG can accurately record the situation of brain waves. However, due to the variety of brain functions, there are some patients with brain dysfunction in clinical practice. One EEG cannot find abnormality, and further examinations or regular EEG are required to prevent missed diagnosis.
Warm reminder, EEG cannot be done on an empty stomach. Fasting will cause hypoglycemia in the body, causing discomfort and affecting the examination. Before the examination, you should eat properly. If you cannot eat normally, you should inject glucose intravenously to supplement energy before the examination to avoid accidents during the examination.
