Routine EEG

It is a short-term EEG examination performed while awake, lasting approximately 30-45 minutes. During the procedure, you will be asked to follow commands such as opening and closing your eyes, looking at a lamp placed in front of you intermittently (photic warning), and breathing deeply and rapidly for 3 minutes (hyperventilation).

During the EEG procedure , no electrical current is given to the patient, so no pain or discomfort is felt. It can be easily applied to individuals of all ages, including pregnant women. There is no medical drawback to taking EEG at frequent intervals or recording for a long time. For an accurate recording with high quality, the hair should be washed the day before.

It should be noted that, for accurate diagnosis and treatment, recording and interpretation of the EEG records should be performed by experts experienced in this field.

What is a routine EEG?

One of the important and vital organs in the human body is the brain… Thanks to the functions and electrical activities of the brain, people can maintain their vital activities, as the body needs these brain waves in many aspects from moving to sleeping. An abnormality in the brain can lead to various diseases.

The process of recording the electrical activities of the brain by a neurologist is called an EEG examination. Routine EEG procedure is among the most commonly used EEG methods. The most important feature of this EEG type is that the EEG procedure is performed while the patient is awake, without being put to sleep.

Routine EGG, which takes half an hour on average, is an imaging method that can be applied to everyone from young children to adults if needed. The EEG recording, which is performed while the person is awake, is recorded by the computer system and the EEG technician passes a printout of the results to the neurologist.

Electrical touches resembling a heartbeat on paper are reflected on the paper as an image of wavy lines. Based on these waves, the neurologist can evaluate the general condition of the patient and decide on the necessary treatment methods for the disease. In particular, the irregularities that will occur in these waves are considered important data in the diagnosis of the disease.

Why is a Routine EEG Taken?

Cells in the brain interact with each other electrically. These electrical activities are vital for the body to be healthy. Problems related to electrical activities are detected by routine EEG application to people who apply to a doctor due to an abnormality complaint.

A routine EEG procedure may be considered necessary by a neurologist for many different health problems.

• Diseases with seizure disorders such as epilepsy
• Injuries resulting from blows to the head
• Cerebellar inflammation
• Brain tumor
• Disturbances in brain functions
• Complaints of disturbed sleep patterns
• Stroke & paralysis
• Alzheimer’s
• Memory problems

Routine EEG testing is needed when it comes to the health problems listed above. Besides, other than these diseases, people undergoing brain surgery can be monitored with an EEG to trace the activity during the surgery.

How is a Routine EEG Taken?

Routine EEG recording, which is performed with a device specially developed for measuring and recording brain activities, is conducted while the patient is awake. The patient is asked to remain calm and sit or lie still during the EEG recording. The procedure takes about half an hour.

Specially produced electrodes are placed on the scalp to transmit electrical waves in the brain. An adhesive gel is used during the procedure and approximately 15 or 25 electrodes must be placed on the scalp. The placement of the electrodes may vary from patient to patient.

With the connection of the electrodes, the routine EEG recording process begins. Various stimuli such as lights, etc., are displayed to the patient during the procedure. During the delivery of these stimuli, the EEG technician may ask the person to close and open their eyes.

At the end of the test, all of the electrodes are removed from the person’s scalp. The EEG technician passes a printout of the results to the neurologist, and the necessary evaluations begin.

Routine EEG is a procedure that generally takes half an hour and does not cause any ache or pain to the person, and can be taken while awake. However, in some cases, the application time of this procedure may take up to an hour. It is important for the person to stay still during the recording and to follow the instructions given by the EEG technician to get the clearest and most accurate result.

Depending on the diseases or special conditions of some patients, the duration of routine EEG can extend up to 24 hours.