Can lack of sleep cause abnormal EEG?
Can lack of sleep cause abnormal EEG?
Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings after sleep deprivation increase the diagnostic yield in patients suspected of epilepsy if the routine EEG remains inconclusive. Sleep deprivation is associated with increased interictal EEG abnormalities in patients with epilepsy, but the exact mechanism is unknown.
Can an EEG detect sleep deprivation?
A sleep-deprived EEG can be helpful if you are thought to be having absence, myoclonic or focal (partial) seizures. The beginning of the sleep-deprived EEG test is the same as a standard EEG test. You may then fall asleep or doze while the EEG is still recording the activity in your brain.
What does a sleep deprived EEG test for?
A sleep-deprived EEG further assesses changes in brain activity that can indicate various brain disorders, like epilepsy or other seizure disorders. A sleep-deprived EEG can be used to diagnose and differentiate various types of epilepsies. Sometimes seizure activity can manifest with psychiatric symptoms.
How long do you have to be sleep deprived for an EEG?
Your doctor may ask you not to sleep the night before the test or to sleep for only about 4 or 5 hours. This is because some types of the brain’s electrical activity can’t be found unless you are asleep. If you know that you are going to have a sleep-deprived EEG, plan to have someone drive you to and from the test.
What happens if I fall asleep before a sleep deprived EEG?
Sleep deprivation may help in two ways. Firstly the tiredness may result in brain waves on the EEG which are not usually seen. Secondly, you may fall asleep during the EEG and this may reveal new information that would otherwise have been unseen.
What does sleep deprivation alter in epilepsy?
If you have epilepsy, lack of “good sleep” makes most people more likely to have seizures. It can even increase the intensity and length of seizures. Some forms of epilepsy are especially prone to sleep problems.
How do you keep a child awake for a sleep deprived EEG?
Nap-Deprived EEG (Age 3 and younger)
- On the night before your appointment, keep your child up one hour past normal bedtime, and wake your child (and avoid naps) three to four hours before your appointment time.
- Bring a bottle, pacifier and/or other items that might help your child relax.
Can sleep deprivation cause focal seizures?
Can sleep deprivation trigger a seizure? Yes, it can. Seizures are very sensitive to sleep patterns. Some people have their first and only seizures after an “all-nighter” at college or after not sleeping well for long periods.
Does sleep deprivation lower seizure threshold?
Some people suffer a single seizure for the only time in their life after an “all-nighter” at college or during a prolonged period of poor sleep with a major life stress. Lack of proper sleep can increase their chances of a seizure or increase the intensity and duration of a seizure.
Does sleep deprivation increase epileptiform EEG activity in patients with epilepsy?
Many published studies report an increased incidence of epileptiform EEG activity following sleep deprivation in persons with epilepsy in whom a previous routine EEG was normal or inconclusive.
Why can’t you sleep before a sleep deprived EEG test?
You can’t sleep before a sleep-deprived EEG test because when a person is sleep-deprived, it is more likely that they will show abnormal spikes indicating the presence of epilepsy. The sleep deprived EEG brings about a state of sleepiness that can show whether or not there is epileptic activity in your brain.
What does it mean if my EEG doesn’t show seizures?
Many people with epilepsy only have unusual electrical activity in their brain when they are having a seizure. The rest of the time the brain activity may be entirely normal. So, if your EEG test doesn’t show any unusual activity, it only means that there is no epileptic activity in your brain at the time the test is being done.
What is a sleep-deprived electroencephalogram?
Diana Apetauerova, MD, is board-certified in neurology with a subspecialty in movement disorders. She is an associate clinical professor of neurology at Tufts University. A sleep-deprived EEG, or an electroencephalogram, is a type of EEG that requires the patient to acquire less sleep than usual before undergoing the test.
