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EEG's

Wed, 02/09/2005 - 17:40
Topic: Diagnostic Dilemmas and Testing

"Migraines are a vascular problem, but EEGs to not pick up or make any abnormal looking waves from a headache.  They don't detect ANY sort of blood flow, just electrical activity.  I am a lisenced EMT/RN who has worked in an EMU for 6 years, and EEGs DO NOT pick up headaches"

Vascular problems do indeed show up on EEG, if blood flow is compromised - there are EEG changes.  If there is a vascular change affecting the blood flow, the neurons are deprived of oxygenized blood - thus cannot produce normal EEG waves, normal electrical impulses.   So electrical impulses DO depend on blood flow - and yes, true vascular migraines can be picked up on the EEG during an attack. Not between events unless there has been previous and permanent neuronal damage.

Mexican Fire - check out EEG during stroke and vasospasm - both are vascular condition and both have EEG changes.

Migraines are often misdiagnosed as epilepsy and vise versa. 

 

Comments

RE: RE: EEG's

Submitted by angel_lts on Tue, 2005-05-10 - 08:20
Epilepsy and Migranine are sort of the same. Epilepsy just gives you seizures. Dont know if they show up on the EEG. My sister has epilepsy and her husband has migranies. You put those two genes together and she has two daughters. One with epilepsy and one with migranies. It is like putting two parents with epilepsy together. I hope I explained that right.http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/EpilepsyApproach/Lisa

Re: EEG's

Submitted by kayakmom on Tue, 2005-12-06 - 15:58
Ellgee thanks for this information! EEGs are all so confusing and we do need accurate info to help figure it out. MY dd and I have migraines, she was having seizures for a brief time, now resolved. Her second EEG was abnormal, putting her on medication. Her first and third were normal....I appreciate having the facts to understand her situations and how EEG is and is not affected by migraine. My son has had one possible migraine but many seizures. He has some abnormal and many normal EEGs because he has not ever had a seizure during testing. Thanks again!

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