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What is the EEG System?

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What is the EEG System?

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a recording made from the scalp of the brain's electrical activity. Although analogous experiments on animals had been done as early as 1870, Hans Berger made the first recordings in 1929.


It is believed that the waveforms reflect the activity of the cortex, the brain's outer layer. The electrical activity of the brain regions below the cortex has an impact on this activity.


Action potentials are signals that are produced by the nerve cells in the brain. Through a space known as the synapse, these action potentials travel from one cell to another. Neurotransmitters are specialized molecules that aid in the transmission of signals across gaps. There are two different kinds of neurotransmitters; one facilitates the action potential's progression to the subsequent nerve cell, while the other prevents it from doing so.



Application of EEG System:

The main use of an EEG machine is to help in epilepsy diagnosis. It is possible to notice abnormal patterns like spikes, sharp waves, and/or spike and wave complexes. The sort of activity and the region of the brain from which it was recorded can help the doctor prescribe the right drug for that kind of epilepsy.



Surgery is frequently used to remove the damaged tissue in patients with epilepsy who are unable to control their condition with medication. This tissue's localization depends heavily on the EEG system. A grid of electrodes can be implanted directly on the brain's surface or special electrodes can be introduced through the cortex. These recordings, also known as Long Term Monitoring for Epilepsy (LTME), may be made for intervals of up to a week. The EEG data will show which parts of the brain require surgical removal.


In order to distinguish between brain death and potentially reversible diseases in individuals who are profoundly unconscious, EEG investigations can also be employed.


When recording from scalp electrodes spaced at least 10 cm apart, electrocerebral inactivity (ECI), also known as electrocerebral quiet (ECS), is defined as the absence of any EEG activity with an amplitude greater than 2 V.



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