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Just Curious... - 9/15/2011 7:55:05 PM

JerseyKrissi72

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I haven't been here for quite some time, had some health issues..been having alot more black outs then usual,dizziness and confusion so my doctor put me on "lamictal" thinking this would help my bipolar disorder as well...She ordered an EEG which I have to get done early next week...she didn't tell me much about it, does anyone know what an EEG shows? I am a little unsure about this test..thankyou.

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RE: Just Curious... - 9/15/2011 9:16:33 PM

Endivius

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It's an Electroencephalogram. It is a neurological test. If you are having black outs or sudden loss in equilibrium you may have a number of different conditions, the EEG will help narrow the search, it may also pinpoint the problem. The test is painless, they hook up some leads with some adhesive and watch your neuroelectrical patterns to see how they change while you different activities such as sleep, watching t.v., reading ect;. There are too many conditions that could be causing your symptoms, so it is fruitless to speculate or worry yourself. Just do the test and let your neurologist diagnose you.

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RE: Just Curious... - 9/15/2011 9:34:12 PM

bemyslut

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Lamictal is used to treat a very limited number of conditions: seizures and mood disorders. The EEG is essentially a graphical display of brain wave activities. Your doctor is not trying to look for a disorder/condition as much as he/she is trying to rule out certain conditions. Think of an EKG; instead of placing electrodes on your chest, they will be connected to your scalp. There are various means of doing this and the number of electrodes used will depend on a number of factors (the more electrodes the better "picture" of brain wave activity obtained). Given the symptoms you described and the medications you are taking, my first thought would be your Dr. is trying to rule out seizure activity

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RE: Just Curious... - 9/18/2011 3:46:55 AM

shallowdeep

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Perhaps elaborating just a bit more:

When neurons in your brain fire, channels open and electrically charged ions get moved around; this movement of charge produces changes in electric potential in the surrounding space. Outside the skull, the changes are very small, but electrodes placed on the scalp can still pick them up. EEGs do exactly that. By measuring the voltages on the electrodes over time, you can get a sense of the underlying brain activity that is producing the fluctuations in voltage. The voltages tend to go up and down with consistent rhythms, or frequencis, hence the term brain waves. An EEG typically uses a number of electrodes placed in a specific pattern to map out brain activity. By analyzing the data, it may be possible to find problems.

I've attached a picture showing what some actual EEG data looks like. The top left part shows electrode placement and the top right is a plot of the voltage for each of the various channels over time. That sort of plot can be difficult to interpret, so it's common for the data to be analyzed in the frequency domain instead. A spectrogram, like the one shown in the bottom, can make it easier to see things. For instance, the area in the gray box represents the brain activity during an epileptic seizure, and is noticeably different from the surrounding, normal, brain activity.

As Endivius pointed out, an EEG is a painless, non-invasive procedure. To make sure that there's good contact with the scalp (essential to pick up the small electrical signals) a conductive paste is often used when applying the electrodes. The paste can sometimes get a little messy with hair, but that's been the worst of it for me. The video here explains a bit about the application of an EEG electrode, although the styles can vary a bit. I've never had a clinical EEG, but I've gotten to play with them in labs and, if anything, it's kind of fun to see your brain's activity – so the test isn't something I'd be too worried about.

Good luck with your EEG!

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RE: Just Curious... - 9/18/2011 3:50:01 AM

shallowdeep

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Might help to actually include the image...

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RE: Just Curious... - 10/9/2011 2:55:22 PM

denizenalex

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Black outs and dizziness indicate some abnormal activity ... passing out once in a while is normal due to stress, shock or prolonged standing etc; when circulation to brain gets less. But passing out more frequently especially the 'black outs' where you see darkness spread in front of your eyes before you faint or worser still temporary loss of eye sight (but you are still half/full conscios) will indicate some problem. It is a good thought to have consulted a specialist or a physician ...

It is best read by a specialist and interpreted by them who would also examine you clinically and perhaps even get a CT scan or other studies done according to the need. Many times, things are just temporary or just in beginning stage. Don't worry, everything is gonna be alright :)

Get well soon dear ...

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