Electroencephalography Health Dictionary

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Electroencephalography: From 2 Different Sources

n. the technique for recording the electrical activity from different parts of the brain and converting it into a tracing called an electroencephalogram (EEG). The machine that records this activity is known as an encephalograph. The pattern of the EEG reflects the state of the patient’s brain and his level of consciousness in a characteristic manner. Electroencephalography is mostly used in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy and sleep disorders.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Electroencephalography (eeg)

In the BRAIN there is a regular, rhythmical change of electric potential, due to the rhythmic discharge of energy by nerve cells. These changes can be recorded graphically and the ‘brain waves’ examined – a procedure introduced to medicine in the 1920s. These records

– electroencephalograms – are useful in DIAGNOSIS: for example, the abnormal electroencephalogram occurring in EPILEPSY is characteristic of this disease. The normal waves, known as alpha waves, occur with a frequency of 10 per second. Abnormal waves, with a frequency of 7 or fewer per second, are known as delta waves and occur in the region of cerebral tumours and in the brains of epileptics. An electroencephalogram can assess whether an individual is awake, alert or asleep. It may also be used during surgery to monitor the depth of unconsciousness in anaesthetised patients.... electroencephalography (eeg)


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