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Abnormal EEG

Wed, 11/14/2007 - 15:04

My 4 yo had an eeg yesterday.  Within minutes of him fallling asleep, the tech starting calling a neurologist to come and personally LOOK at his eeg.  This isn't standard procedure.  We saw the physicians assistant before we left and what she said to me was that his EEG was abnormal.  They didnt capture seizure activity but the abnormality is common in people who DO have seizures.  They medicated him with a small dose of zarontin until we can get another appt in 2 months. 

 

Im wondering if any of you have ever heard of this.  Have any of you had abnormal eegs without seizure activity and been told its common in people who have seizures?  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

Comments

Re: Abnormal EEG

Submitted by rikk on Wed, 2009-02-11 - 16:53
hi, it is not uncommon for it to be addressed that way.  there are sometimes a pattern that can be identified with out seizure happening.  the best i can explain it is like looking into a distortion mirror, or a shadow.  you did not state why he was having an eeg.  I think i would try to get the neuro appointment sooner, to get more answers, and adjust treatment if necessary.  i hope it helps.  rikk 

Re: Abnormal EEG

Submitted by tonialpha on Wed, 2009-02-11 - 17:26
I had one the first time and was sent to a  Neurosurgeon.  I didn't know I was having a seizure during the study.  I have had seizures for over 40 years.  I have worked in the field and seen normal EEG's for patients that have had a seizure disorder too.  It is not uncommon.  I have had telemetry and been monitored many times.  One person in my class that was teaching how to do EEG's had an abnormal  EEG but it was Normal for her.  She had been in an accident an she had slowing on her EEG.  She had no symptoms and she was normal and was not needing medication for her particular case.  The doctor determines what is needed for each particular case.

Re: Abnormal EEG

Submitted by Crystal11 on Wed, 2009-02-11 - 22:30

I started having small absence seizures in school and my first EEG showed negative results but according to teacher accounts and statements from my Mom, I was most likley having Absence seizures. Then when I was 13 I started having more longer seizures which were complex partial seizures and the EEG showed nothing significant ecept waveforms going faster than normal but no seizure activity while in testing. I was treated for complex partial seizure due to history, observations and person comments. At 23 I had another EEG and it showed my brain activity being faster than normal causing my speech to speed up and cause some balance problems but also it was nothing that bad on EEG. So we did a 72 hour ambulatory EEG and this definalty showed a lot of seizure activity and that it came from all over my brain althogh i have complex partial seizures as if it spread quickly. I also had another EEG after that monitoring EEG which showed a driving responce from photic stimulation.

Many people with complex partial seizures can have normal EEGs and even normal EEG tracings during a CP SZ if the SZ focus is lower down in the brain than what the machine can detect.

 

Wish you luck with everything.

Take care,

Crystal 

I started having small absence seizures in school and my first EEG showed negative results but according to teacher accounts and statements from my Mom, I was most likley having Absence seizures. Then when I was 13 I started having more longer seizures which were complex partial seizures and the EEG showed nothing significant ecept waveforms going faster than normal but no seizure activity while in testing. I was treated for complex partial seizure due to history, observations and person comments. At 23 I had another EEG and it showed my brain activity being faster than normal causing my speech to speed up and cause some balance problems but also it was nothing that bad on EEG. So we did a 72 hour ambulatory EEG and this definalty showed a lot of seizure activity and that it came from all over my brain althogh i have complex partial seizures as if it spread quickly. I also had another EEG after that monitoring EEG which showed a driving responce from photic stimulation.

Many people with complex partial seizures can have normal EEGs and even normal EEG tracings during a CP SZ if the SZ focus is lower down in the brain than what the machine can detect.

 

Wish you luck with everything.

Take care,

Crystal 

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