EEG (Electroencephalography)

EEG of the brain is the neurological equivalent of ECG of the heart. However unlike the electrical circuits of the heart which are formed by only a few conducting tracts, the human brain is a complex network made up of nearly 100 billion neurons. 

An EEG study can help determine whether an episodic phenomenon is due to an epileptiform or non-epileptiform etiology. Over 50% of patients with epilepsy will have abnormalities detectable even on the first interictal EEG with yield increasing to 90% with 4 serial studies. In most cases of a seizure the eye witnesses report only the generalized tonic clonic phase although an EEG might reveal a focal origin of epileptiform discharges which has repercussions on the eventual management of patients. Besides epilepsy EEG also plays a supporting role in assessment of focal brain lesions, altered state of consciousness, metabolic encephalopathy, cerebral ischemia and dementia.

EEG studies however are prone to several artifacts and both over and under interpretation of the study can have major implications on patient management. To address these issues all EEG studies at our centre are done with synchronized video recordings, standardized activation procedures and correlated with relevant clinical findings.