You’ve seen it in the movies. All those tiny little wires attached on the hero’s head as he is about to be experimented on by some mad scientist. And then the hero is able to untie himself, able to muster strength even though he is half-sedated. But we are not talking about the movies here, we are discussing EEG scanners.
Electroencephalogram (both our convenience, you can simply call it EEG) is a test that evaluates and records the activities of the brain. Again, this should never be confused with Electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG is for the heart, we are talking about the brain. Admittedly, both tests share the same concept. Both are using electrical impulses conducted by the brain (for EEG) or heart (for ECG, obviously). An electroencephalogram is a risk-free test. There will be no pain or side effects after undergoing with this. It only records your brain activity, but does induce electrical current to the brain which is the work of electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. ECT should not be confused with either EEG or ECG.
A little bit of history lesson. EEG is one of the first, being developed by German neurologist Hans Berger in 1924, and non-invasive ways of determining variances in the brain’s electrical activity. End of history lesson.
EEG is used mainly to diagnose seizure disorders such as epilepsy or convulsions, problems in loss of consciousness or in dementia, in monitoring for a patient’s brain activity during a brain surgery, determine sleep disorders like narcolepsy, and evaluate head traumas, injuries or other deteriorating and metabolic interruption that affects the brain. It can also be used as an adjunct test in determining brain-dead on a coma patient. EEG can also be use also as adjunct test in determining mental illnesses that are organic in nature. Contrary to popular belief, EEG cannot measure a human’s IQ or fully diagnose mental illnesses. EEG scanners are not diagnostic tools, they are only
The brain is home to billions of neurons that interact with each other by sending impulses to and through them every time. These messages from each neurons bulk up in forming electrical current. The brain fires out this electrical current even when you’re sleeping. The brain waves are typically sluggish during sleep. EEG is done by placing up several pairs of electrodes in a client’s head. These electrodes are special sensors that conduct the electrical activity of the brain. It is paired because it calculates the difference of voltages between the electrodes. It is then connected to an amplifier and recording machine that converts the signals in wavy lines or wave patterns in the monitor. So in the movies, those lines that appear on the monitor are not random, they have actual meanings.
In deep sleeping, the brain transmits delta waves which emits up to four times a second. Theta wave which is emitted during light sleep usually transmits four to seven times per second. While when were in relax mode or conscious state alpha waves are emitted at a rate of seven to 13 times per second. Beta waves which are emitted 13 up to 40 seconds per minute reflect a stressed or excited state of mind. Even if it is in a different state, the brain emits different kind of waves at a time, but typically a certain wave lead in a certain moment.
EEG only works at recording electrical activities of the brain it cannot point the exact location, the specific region or the brain function that is affected. MRI, CT Scans or other complex scans are other tests that is used to confirm diagnosis to tumors or brain swelling after EEG test suggests there might be. Leave the diagnosis to MRI, CT Scans and other much complex scanning systems, my friend. The EEG only works as a variance tool as it measures the client’s brain activity against a normal scan.