Do You Need an EEG? When Neurologists Recommend Brain Wave Testing

Brain waves are patterns of electrical activity created by neuron firings in your brain. You can think of them as your brain’s chitter-chatter because they reflect that ongoing communication within your brain. 

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) are noninvasive tests that provide a visual map of your brain waves for diagnostic and treatment purposes. If your doctor recommended one, valuable benefits likely lie ahead.

Board-certified neurologist Dr. Farhad Elyaderani and his team in New Rochelle and Yonkers, New York, provide EEGs for epilepsy and seizure evaluation.

EEG basics

An EEG is a painless, noninvasive test that records your brain waves. The procedure takes roughly 30-40 minutes. Our team also provides extended EEGs with video monitoring for up to three days following a routine EEG, as needed.

Invented by a German scientist in the 1920s, EEGs have reliably helped medical professionals diagnose and assess neurological conditions for decades. 

During the test, you relax on a medical chair or table while thin wires run from electrodes on your scalp (secured with gel or paste) to a computer. Your brain activity appears on the computer screen as spiky or curvy lines.

When neurologists recommend EEGs

Dr. Elyaderani may recommend an EEG if he suspects you may have a seizure disorder or if you’ve been diagnosed with one and need an assessment. 

If you recently had a seizure, an EEG can help our team diagnose epilepsy and determine the type and location of the seizure you had. The wave-and-spike patterns of the EGG can also help differentiate epilepsy from other conditions, like migraine variants, movement disorders, sleep disorders, and metabolic disease.

An EEG may also be called for if you have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or tumor, recently suffered a stroke, or are experiencing particular symptoms, like dizziness, personality changes, or memory loss.

How EEGs affect treatment

EEGs can play an invaluable role in your treatment for a seizure disorder or other neurological condition. 

Some of the ways an EEG can enhance treatment include:

• Improved epilepsy management, including seizure classification
• Assessing whether your medication protocol is working well or requires changes
• Surgical planning if your seizures don’t respond to medication
• Sleep medication monitoring 
• Managing anesthesia during a medically induced coma
• Detecting brain activity during or following a stroke

Depending on your overall health, our team may recommend one EEG, a series of brainwave tests, or a routine EEG followed by an extended video-supported EEG. If you have a complex seizure disorder, you might benefit from routine EEGs, such as every 6-12 months.

To learn more about brain wave testing or find out if you’d benefit from an EEG, call Dr. Farhad Elyaderani or request an appointment online today.