Ambulatory EEG

If your seizures are at least 3 to 4 hours apart or occur an hour after sleep a regular EEG may record as normal. The brain recovers very fast from a seizure and a 20 to 40 minute test may just miss the event. If this is the case an ambulatory EEG is required for a definitive diagnosis. An ambulatory EEG is fitted on the patient and is worn for 24 to 72 hours recording brain activity while awake and asleep. The machine is the size of a cassette recorder and the wires are under your clothes, the electrodes are still on your head so most patients choose to not go to work while wearing the machine. The patient is requested to keep a diary of their activity as a scratch to the scalp will be recorded. The machine also has an event button that the patient or observer can press to mark the seizure episode. At the end of the test the neurologist will be able to download the information and make the appropriate diagnosis.