Question about EEGs

[Starburst]

I've read a lot on this forum about the frustration people have with trying to get an EEG that documents their seizure activity. I have read that people take measures such as staying up all night or not taking their medication before the EEG so they will be more likely to have the abnormal brain waves. Some people do week-long monitoring in the hospital or at home. All this, and the EEG might still come out normal.

In contrast, my two sons (ages 2 and 18 ) do very brief random EEGs with none of the above measures. Each EEG lasts 10 or 20 minutes maximum, and they always come away with abnormal readings despite being on medication. They've both done about 3 or 4 EEGs each.

Do these results mean anything in particular? Why is it so easy to get a positive reading in the case of my sons in a span of just 10 minutes while others struggle so much? Does this point to the type of epilepsy or something else? I am really wondering how 10 minutes can be adequate when it seems much more typical to do longer tests and monitoring. Insights are appreciated.

 

[chmmr]

I think a large part of it has to do with the location of the abnormal waves (some locations are easier than others to pick up, for example things in the frontal lobe are harder to pick up, as are abnormalities deep in the brain), but it also depends on the person, and the type of seizure/epilepsy they have and it's frequency. (which obviously depends on the location)

I have a 3 year old daughter, who has had consistently abnormal EEG's from the time she was a neonate. Her EEG is always abnormal, during the week long monitoring or during the short ones, but they have never seeen her have a seizure during the EEG.

Here in Canada, it seems they pretty much always have people sleep deprive themselves before an EEG, unless it is one done on an emergent basis post seizure, simply because sleep deprivation is the easiest thing to control that could bring about abnormal activity.

So i guess as far as your kids go, it would depend on what kind of abnormalities they are seeing, and what their clinical symptoms are. If they are seeing epileptiform activity in such a short time (some people have to go to sleep to be able to see any as well) then there is no need to continue the EEG if they are getting what they need.

Hope that helps!

I have also been told by a couple of neurologists that even if you see sharp waves on an EEG, it doesn't necessarily mean you have epilepsy as there is a percentage of the population that has abnormal eeg's that will never have a seizure.