Electroencephalography

E873101

Electroencephalography is a noninvasive neurophysiological technique that records electrical activity of the brain via scalp electrodes to study brain function and diagnose neurological conditions.

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Statements (60)

Predicate Object
instanceOf brain imaging modality
diagnostic test
neurophysiological technique
noninvasive procedure
abbreviation EEG
analyzes brain waves
canBe ambulatory home monitoring
continuous for intensive care monitoring
routine outpatient study
canDetect epileptiform discharges
focal slowing
generalized spike-and-wave patterns
periodic discharges
sleep stages
canRecordFrom intracranial electrodes in special cases
contraindications very few absolute contraindications
dataAnalyzedBy clinical neurophysiologist
neurologist with EEG training
developedIn early 20th century
firstHumanEEGRecordedBy Hans Berger GENERATED
firstHumanEEGRecordedInYear 1924 GENERATED
hasAdvantage high temporal resolution
relatively low cost
tolerance of movement compared to some imaging methods
hasRhythm alpha waves
beta waves
delta waves
gamma waves
theta waves
hasSpatialResolution low compared to fMRI
hasTypicalTemporalResolution milliseconds
isNoninvasive true
isPortable sometimes
limitation poor spatial localization of deep sources
sensitivity to artifacts from muscles and eyes
measures electrical activity of the brain
oftenCombinedWith event-related potential analysis
functional magnetic resonance imaging
magnetoencephalography
oftenUses 10–20 system for electrode placement NERFINISHED
pioneer Hans Berger NERFINISHED
primarilyReflects postsynaptic potentials of cortical pyramidal neurons GENERATED
records voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current within neurons
recordsFrom scalp
requires conductive gel or paste
safetyProfile generally safe
usedFor brain death assessment
brain–computer interface research
cognitive neuroscience experiments
diagnosis of encephalopathy
diagnosis of epilepsy
diagnosis of seizure disorders
diagnosis of sleep disorders
evaluation of altered mental status
evaluation of focal brain lesions
localization of epileptic foci
monitoring coma patients
monitoring depth of anesthesia
neurophysiological research
uses scalp electrodes

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Sleep measuredBy Electroencephalography