Routine EEG
Pain Management & Spine Specialist in Las Vegas, Nevada
A routine electroencephalogram (EEG) is the primary test used to diagnose seizures, epilepsy, and many other conditions affecting your brain. The experienced neurologists at Las Vegas Spine & Pain Center perform an EEG when your symptoms suggest a problem with how your brain functions. The test is safe and effective and provides essential information that guides treatment decisions. To learn about EEGs or to schedule an appointment, call one of the three offices in Las Vegas, Nevada, today or use the online booking feature.
A routine EEG is an in-office procedure that detects and displays the electrical activity in your brain. Neurons (nerve cells) generate electrical impulses as they transmit information through the brain.
Electrical signals from your brain create specific rhythms and frequencies that appear as brain waves on your EEG. Your brain wave patterns reveal problems in nerve communication and brain function.
You may need an EEG when your symptoms and physical and neurological exams suggest you have a condition such as:
EEGs can also help diagnose certain sleep and mental health disorders.
The night before your scheduled EEG, you should wash your hair, but don’t use products like conditioner, sprays, or gels. You should also avoid any caffeine-containing foods or beverages.
At the start of your EEG, your provider places a cap over your head that holds electrodes against your scalp. Then you lie still while the electrodes pick up the electrical activity and send it to a computer.
After recording your brain activity while you rest, your provider may take your EEG while shining a flashing light or asking you to open and close your eyes, read a short paragraph, look at a picture, breathe deeply, or perform other activities.
EEGs don’t cause any side effects or put you at risk of any health problems. They’re safe and painless. The most challenging part is lying still during the 20-40 minute procedure.
The flashing lights used during your EEG may trigger a seizure in people with epilepsy. However, that rarely happens; if it does, your provider is there to provide medical care.
Your brain activity constantly fluctuates, and epilepsy brain waves may only occur every few hours. As a result, your in-office EEG may not pick up any abnormal brain waves. If that happens, your provider may ask you to do an ambulatory EEG.
During this type of EEG, you wear the sensors continuously for several days while the information is recorded on a wearable device or transmitted to a computer.
If you need to schedule an EEG, call Las Vegas Spine & Pain Center or request an appointment online today.