An electroencephalogram of the brain is a method of studying the brain with the help of electrodes attached to the head. Receivers catch bioelectric activity of the brain and record it in the form of a sinusoid. The procedure for diagnosing the nature of brain impulses is currently being carried out not only in specialized centers, but also in urban and even district clinics, but far from everyone knows what the brain's electroencephalogram shows.
What does the electroencephalogram show?
The electroencephalogram displays the state of the brain structures during wakefulness, sleep, active intellectual and physical work, etc. The duration of the EEG procedure is 1-2 hours.
The electroencephalogram is assigned to patients with the following manifestations:
- fainting;
- hypertension;
- headache;
- convulsions;
- vegetovascular dystonia ;
- osteochondrosis;
- pathology of cerebral circulation;
- sleep disorders;
- neuroses;
- epilepsy ;
- craniocerebral trauma;
- delay in mental and speech development in children;
- meningitis, encephalitis;
- suspected tumor development;
- after a stroke.
An electroencephalogram is mandatory before the neurosurgical operation and after it. But here to put on the basis of EEG the diagnosis in psychiatry, contrary to popular belief, is impossible.
Decoding of brain electroencephalogram
When decoding the specialist draws attention to the regularity of the rhythms of certain types, given by the thalamus, which ensures the functioning of the central nervous system. On the EEG are present:
- Alpha rhythm with a frequency of 8 - 14 Hz, reflecting the state of rest during wakefulness.
- Beta-rhythm, having a frequency of 13 - 30 Hz, which reflects a state of anxiety, depression.
- Delta rhythm with a frequency of 0.5 - 3 Hz, which occurs during deep sleep, but is limitedly recorded and wakeful. If the delta rhythm appears in all structures of the brain, then it signals the defeat of the central nervous system.
- Theta rhythm with a frequency of 4 - 7 Hz and amplitude of 25 - 35 μV is typical for children, while in adult patients it manifests itself during natural sleep.
EEG results in adults correspond to the norm if:
- in the cerebral hemispheres the same pattern of electrical activity;
- there are no abnormal activity outbursts;
- alpha and beta rhythms predominate;
- when exposed to light, there is a short-term reaction in a certain area of the brain, but in general the activity of the brain remains normal.