Riverhills Healthcare

EEG

Although it was known as early as the nineteenth century that living brains have electrical activity, an Austrian psychiatrist named Hans Berger was the first to record this activity in humans, in the late 1920s.

Although not a "brain scan" as the term is usually used, the EEG, or electroencephalograph, deserves mention as one of the first -- and still very useful -- ways of non-invasively observing human brain activity.

One important use of EEGs has been to show how long it takes the brain to process various stimuli. An EEG can show what state a person is in -- asleep, awake, anaesthetized -- because the characteristic patterns of current differ for each of these states.

Monitoring an EEG Scan at Riverhills

EEG (Electroencephalogram)
The electroencephalogram is a painless, non-invasive test that gives important information about the function of the brain. This test evaluates epilepsy, memory loss, confusion, strokes and other disorders.

Small metal discs called electrodes are applied with a cream to the head. Electrical impulses which are present in the brain are amplified and recorded on a computer. You will be asked to lie still with your eyes closed during the recording. The test can be done in approximately 60 minutes for a routine study. After the test you may resume your normal activity.

EXAM PREPARATION:
	Clean your hair thoroughly without applying any gel, hairspray, oil, etc. No hair extensions, braids, etc. are allowed.
	Do not consume any caffeine the day of the test. This includes coffee, tea, or any cola.
	You may eat prior to the test.
	You may take any medication as usual.
	For patients having a Sleep Deprived EEG: -limit your sleep to 4 (four) hours the night before!

BAER (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response)

The BAER test evaluates the amount of time the nerves take to respond to sound stimulations. An evoked response will see if there has been a "block" along the pathways that lead to the brain. Common "blocks" include infections and degeneration of the nerve itself.

You will be asked to lie still with a headset on while listening to small clicks during the test. The test can be completed in approximately 30 minutes.

EXAM PREPARATION:
	You may eat prior to the test.
	You may take any medications as usual.

VER (Visual Evoked Response)

The visual evoked response tests the amount of time a repeated visual stimuli (watching a black and white checkerboard) to detect optic neuritis (an inflammatory condition of the optic nerve that creates some visual abnormalities). Delays in nerve transmission include Multiple Sclerosis, brain injury, etc.

You will be asked to watch a monitor showing black and white checks reversing back and forth. The test can be done in approximately 30 minutes.

EXAM PREPARATION:
	Clean your hair thoroughly, without using any hair gel, hairspray, oil, etc. No hair extensions, braids, etc. are allowed.
	You may eat prior to the test.
	You may take all medications as usual, however, if you are taking a medication that causes drowsiness and you can skip it until after the test, please do so.