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There are several ways an EEG test can be done. Will I have to have more than one EEG test? It doesn’t show if there’s any damage or physical abnormalities in your brain. Can an EEG test show if there is any damage in my brain?Īn EEG test only gives information about the electrical activity in your brain. But unless you have a seizure during the recording the doctor cannot be absolutely sure what type of seizures you have. With generalised seizures the activity is more widespread. With focal (partial) seizures the activity is only happening in some areas of your brain. When an EEG test picks up unusual electrical activity, the doctor will look at where it is happening in the brain. Can an EEG test show what type of seizures I have? So, an EEG that shows unusual brainwave patterns doesn’t always mean that you have epilepsy. These could be caused by other medical conditions, problems with their vision, or brain damage. This information is very helpful for doctors when they are making a diagnosis.Ī small number of people have unusual EEG test results, even though they never have seizures and they don’t have epilepsy. When they have an EEG test, the results can show certain brainwave patterns that doctors recognise. People with some types of epilepsy have unusual electrical activity in their brain even when they are not having a seizure. And it doesn’t exclude you having epilepsy. This doesn’t prove that you don’t have abnormal activity in your brain at other times. So, if your EEG test doesn’t show any unusual activity, it only means that there is no epileptic activity in your brain at the time the test is being done. The rest of the time the brain activity may be entirely normal. Many people with epilepsy only have unusual electrical activity in their brain when they are having a seizure.
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What information does an EEG test give?Īn EEG test gives information about the electrical activity that is happening in your brain at the time the test is carried out.
#WHAT IS AN EEG TEST PORTABLE#
You might be asked to take a simple piece of portable recording equipment home with you. You may find it useful to plan how you will get home after the appointment. Some people find the process quite tiring and there is a very small risk you might have a seizure during the test. People with epilepsy have told us that they found it helpful to go with someone to the appointment. Where are EEG tests done?Īn EEG is usually done in hospital in an outpatient clinic. This is because reading an EEG incorrectly is one of the most common reasons for people to be given the wrong diagnosis. They should always be interpreted by a doctor who specialises in reading EEG results. The results of an EEG can help doctors to make the correct diagnosis and decide on the best treatment. Non-convulsive status epilepticus can change a person’s level of awareness or cause confusion, but might not be recognised as a seizure without an EEG. Sometimes an EEG is done to check whether someone is in non-convulsive status epilepticus.