How Does An Eeg Work?

[Byte Me]

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if anyone here understands and could help me understand better how an EEG works.

My teenage daughter had a very odd episode on Dec. 31st of '06 which has led to the discovery of a spot on her brain (no one seems to be able to agree on what it might be) and almost daily recurring symptoms of headaches, dizziness, weird smells, numbness/tingling in her hands and feet, confusion, and memory loss followed by extreme tiredness. That reeks of seizure activity if you ask me. I've been harping on that for over two months to her doctors, and we finally were able to see a specialist today who decided to order an EEG. She was made to hyperventilate and to look at a strobe light, both with eyes open and closed during the test. The back of her head went numb, and she got a headache during the test, and she told the technician this and the technician did note it - but that was it, seemed like a pretty minor reaction compared to what she normally goes through in a day.

Now, after we left the hospital, she suddenly got the same symptoms she has been having nearly every day, but said they were the most intense she has ever felt them. She felt so crummy that she was even crying (she's not a cryer). It was over with a lot more quickly than her non-induced symptoms have ever been, though... that was surprising to me. I have googled and read multiple articles about what an EEG is and how it works, but I still can't figure this out: does the test know ahead of time that this was going to happen? What I mean is, sort of like when a woman in labor is hooked up to the monitor and you can "see" a contraction before it is felt? Or earthquake predictions? (sorry if I'm being retarded - I can't think of a better way to explain it lol) Or would she have to be having those symptoms while hooked up for the test to be able to detect what is going on?

I know I'm probably being way too obsessive about this. I'm just so tired of seeing her hurting all the time. Nothing OTC helps her headaches, and her doctors have been unwilling to prescribe anything for them until they figure out what is going on. In the past 2 1/2 months she has maybe had ten days, scattered here and there, where she hasn't been in pain and experiencing these seizure-like symptoms.

I would be so very grateful if anyone here is able to explain the EEG so I could maybe understand it a little better, or if you have any input on what she is experiencing, or suggestions on how to help her feel better until the dr.'s do something. Am I overreacting? Do I need to call the doctor tomorrow and let her know what happened when we left? Or do I need to just hush and let them figure this out and quit giving my two cents?? Sometimes I don't know if I'm being reasonable or not... my anxiety tends to get the better of me and I just can't judge for myself if I'm being too pushy or not open-minded enough or overly ridiculous about what symptoms might mean.

please help if you can! I feel like such a spazz right now. I hate not being able to make her feel better.

[Ursa Major]

Jenn, does your daughter have celiac disease? Do you? If she hasn't been diagnosed with celiac disease, it is possible that her problems could be a symptom of celiac disease.

I had those same tests, and I don't believe that they would see what would happen after the test, unless there would have been seizure activity without obvious outward expression before you could tell.

I suggest you wait until you get the results before you do anything else, since you don't know what they found yet. Other than maybe trying a gluten-free/dairy free diet?

[2kids4me]

Kathryn has had an EEG. I'll try and relay my understanding.

They attach several leads to specific parts of the head to measure electrical activity in the brain. The strobe lights and hyperventalation are known to stimulate seizure activity in the brain ..........they do this to see how the brain responds to stimulation. A neurologist evaluates the readouts from the test and looks for abnormal responses from the brain.

It must be so disconcerting for you, its so hard when they do test after test and dont get concrete answers. They are wise to avoid medicating when they dont know the cause - because the wrong choice of meds could make things worse. Not much comfort for you as you see her in pain so often.

In answer to one of your questions - yes the test can only pick up a problem if it occurs while she is hooked up. My sister in law has epilepsy and I believe she had 3 EEG's before she had a seizure while hooked up (the strobe light triggered it). It was at that time they could pinpoint the area of the brain affected by abnormal electrical discharges (that cause the seizures).

The EEG can only record the activity as it occurs, it cannot predict it.

If she had symptoms while hooked ot the monitor but the EEG is normal - it may still be of diagnostic value - becasue if her symptoms are not related to abnormal discharges in the brian, it may guide them as ot the next step neccesary ot find out what the heck is going on.

My prayers are with you, let us know how you are doing and what comes next.

Sandy

[Byte Me]

Thanks Ursa and Sandy for replying.

Ursa, I don't have a medical confirmation but I believe I have celiac. I definitely have gluten intolerance at the least. I do believe a gluten-free diet would benefit my daughter but that is something she absolutely refuses to try. She will be turning 17 this year so I'm not really sure if forcing her would do any good at this point.

Sandy, that explanation definitely helped. I didn't get a call from the doctor today so I'm thinking that nothing abnormal must have shown up on the EEG. I think I'm going to ask that they repeat it and for a longer time. She had another episode tonight and in addition to what has become the norm, she was visibly shivering and twitching and her eyes were rolling for a couple of seconds. I just don't understand how that isn't obvious enough.

Anyway, thank you both again!

(PS: sorry to anyone who was bothered by the mention of celiac disease/gluten-free in this particular forum. Maybe a mod could move the thread or something? I don't wanna be a rule-breaker! )

[2kids4me]

sorry to anyone who was bothered by the mention of celiac disease/gluten-free

it didnt bother me, I figured you posted it here cause you didnt know what category it fit under! Since your question was about an EEG - well, then that isnt celiac

not to worry.

I had a thought - can you borrow a video camera and get visual documentation of what you see at home? Record several episodes if you can........ then I'd plunk it in front of neurologist or whoever and say : "This isnt normal" , do more tests!

Is it possible for them to hook her up to an EEG and keep her in hospital to have someone monitor her and record an "event " as it happens? or they could hook up a video cam themseves and keep her for a day or 2 ??

Sandy

[Byte Me]

You are right, I wasn't sure which category to post under.

That is a GOOD idea about the video camera!! thank you, I am going to try that for sure.

The local hospital has a department that does overnight EEG study type things, and I'm going to keep pushing for them to repeat and keep her on longer (was only 30 mins yesterday) but I will definitely keep a video diary now also. thank you a million! simple, but genius.

[ravenwoodglass]

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if anyone here understands and could help me understand better how an EEG works.

My teenage daughter had a very odd episode on Dec. 31st of '06 which has led to the discovery of a spot on her brain (no one seems to be able to agree on what it might be)

If they called this spot a UBO (unidentified bright object) please be aware that in countries other than the US are considered diagnostic for neuro related celiac. They are unfortunately a mystery to US doctors or I would have been diagnosed 5 years before I was. I would try her on the diet as soon as you can. 20% of us with neuro presentations do not show up on blood work and precious time could be lost while they search for an answer. The gluten free diet is not going to harm her if there is something else going on and I would strongly advise you to give the diet a try.

[Byte Me]

If they called this spot a UBO (unidentified bright object) please be aware that in countries other than the US are considered diagnostic for neuro related celiac. They are unfortunately a mystery to US doctors or I would have been diagnosed 5 years before I was. I would try her on the diet as soon as you can. 20% of us with neuro presentations do not show up on blood work and precious time could be lost while they search for an answer. The gluten free diet is not going to harm her if there is something else going on and I would strongly advise you to give the diet a try.

raven,

thank you for that info, that is very interesting! so far they haven't called it that. she has 2 doctors and 2 MRI's and an ongoing argument about whether or not it is a low-grade glioma or a lesion similar to those seen in multiple sclerosis. after talking to her some more, I think I may have to come up with some cash in exchange for her agreeing to try the diet, lol...but it will definitely be worth it. She is an exceptionally well-behaved teen, and this is really the only thing I have ever asked of her that she has refused to do. I think it's more a matter of feeling deprived than anything else; she already has so many "can't have"s and "can't do"s due to health problems.

[ravenwoodglass]

raven,

thank you for that info, that is very interesting! so far they haven't called it that. she has 2 doctors and 2 MRI's and an ongoing argument about whether or not it is a low-grade glioma or a lesion similar to those seen in multiple sclerosis.

Just one additional note, the bit about the lesion being similar to the ones for MS was what I heard also. The radiologists notes said almost exactly what you just stated. They had thought I had MS at that point but a rather painful spinal tap failed to show the specific demylination that would be found if it was MS. I was almost wheelchair bound before the diet was found 5 years later. Because they took so long to diagnose me I have been left with some permanent deficits even though I can walk almost normally now and without canes and have regained full use of my hands I am left with rather severe ataxia and other annoying issues because of the delay. There is quite a bit of research on the neurological effects of gluten but unfortunately it apparently isn't looked at by American Neuros.

I hope you get some answers soon and that she is doing better.

[Jo.R]

Hi everybody,

Am I overreacting? Do I need to call the doctor tomorrow and let her know what happened when we left? Or do I need to just hush and let them figure this out and quit giving my two cents?? Sometimes I don't know if I'm being reasonable or not... my anxiety tends to get the better of me and I just can't judge for myself if I'm being too pushy or not open-minded enough or overly ridiculous about what symptoms might mean.

You are not overreacting. This is your child and something is wrong. Keep pushing. Too many people suffer needlessly because they don't push their doctors. I like the idea of recording the "spells".