What does irregular brain waves mean?

What does irregular brain waves mean?

An abnormal EEG means that there is a problem in an area of brain activity. This can offer a clue in diagnosing various neurological conditions.

What is the meaning of photic stimulation?

pho·tic stim·u·la·tion. the use of a flickering light at various frequencies to influence the pattern of the occipital electroencephalogram and also to activate latent abnormalities.

What causes abnormal brain waves?

Abnormal results on an EEG test may be due to: Abnormal bleeding (hemorrhage) An abnormal structure in the brain (such as a brain tumor) Tissue death due to a blockage in blood flow (cerebral infarction)

What is a brain wave test called?

An EEG is a test that detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto your scalp.

What is photic stimulation in EEG?

Abstract. Intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) is a common procedure performed in the electroencephalography (EEG) laboratory in children and adults to detect abnormal epileptogenic sensitivity to flickering light (i.e., photosensitivity).

What is a Magnetoencephalogram?

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive medical test that measures the magnetic fields produced by your brain’s electrical currents. It is performed to map brain function and to identify the exact location of the source of epileptic seizures.

How does an electroencephalogram work?

During an EEG, small electrodes and wires are attached to your head. The electrodes detect your brain waves and the EEG machine amplifies the signals and records them in a wave pattern on graph paper or a computer screen (Fig. 1).

What does it mean when your brain waves are abnormal?

This can be a general change in the way a normal brain wave looks. It may have an abnormal frequency, height or shape. It can also be a brain wave showing up that should not. For example, a delta wave occurring in an adult who is awake is not normal.

How do you interpret a brain wave test result?

Interpretation of Test Results. Abnormal test results of a brain wave test are indicative of inflammation or swelling of the brain, brain hemorrhage and even drug and alcohol abuse.

What are the different types of brain waves that EEG records?

There are many types of brain waves that an EEG records. The basic brain waves are alpha, beta, theta, and delta waves. There are other more complex waves. Each type of brain wave has a normal frequency, height, shape, and location.

What does it mean if my EEG waves are slow?

People with lesions of their brain, which can result from tumors or stroke, may have unusually slow EEG waves, depending on the size and the location of the lesion. The test can also be used to diagnose other disorders that influence brain activity, such as Alzheimer’s disease, certain psychoses,…