HELP: eeg report didn't match behavior. false positive?

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My husband had his first grand mal seizure about three months ago, and the second one 3 weeks after. I posted his situation before: http://www.epilepsy.com/connect/forums/living-epilepsy-adults/first-seizures-30-now-every-night

We had 72 hours eeg done and saw our neurologist last week. He said eeg successfully detected seizures on "frontotemporal lobe". some of them happened in day time and some of them during sleep. he then increased the dose of Tegretol from 400mg/day to 600/day. He couldn't tell much more about the eeg results. We were not convinced by this result, because he never had any weird behavior during day time. how could eeg detect that? So, in order to get a 2nd opinion, we ordered a copy of the eeg recordings and report to ourselves.

Now that we received the report. It said that 48 seizures automatically detected, and 147 spikes as well. We checked the video clips for these. Most of the "automatically detected seizures" were in the day time. and my hubby was not doing anything special from the video. So we are wondering could it be possible that the automatic detection is false positive? that it's not really seizure during day time? Also, he's still having small episodes during sleep (picking noses, rigid limbs, moving legs, turning body, weird face expression, etc) , once about every 30mins ish. This still concerns me, but the eeg didn't tell anything about it. how? Anyone has similar experience? thanks!!

Comments

Most of my daughter's simple

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2015-04-05 - 01:33

Most of my daughter's simple partials have no visible actions, so note that not all seizures would show anything on video. She knows when certain characteristic feelings happen. Initially we had no idea they were seizures, so we thought the seizures she had had were few/rare when they were frequent and increasing. Given the history of two major seizures, a false positive seems unlikely. Things can be misread, but there probably is something to what was recorded. Another thing to note.. not all seizure activity shows up on EEG, so a clear EEG does not mean seizures aren't happening. Consider recording the night behaviors, sharing them with the doctor and asking if there could be something to them. There are some sleep disorders or apnea that could affect a person's seizure activity. If the sleep activity decreases now that he's on medication, that would be good to note. A second opinion with an epileptologist might be worth your while just from the peace of mind aspect.

Welcome back to the clubI

Submitted by just_joe on Sun, 2015-04-05 - 19:32

Welcome back to the clubI remember your previous post and remember responding to it. Both Mereloaded posted that many ofthe thngs your husband was doingwhile sleeping could be seizures. I finished reading this post and I see you seem to htink that he still doesn't have epilepsy.WHen the neurologist was refering to him having a certain number of seizure activities that does not mean he is in the seizure itself. The EEG is showing the electrical output from the brain. It is not showing the seizure byt the output that MAY cause them. In other words they are seeing irregular impulses comming from the "frontotemporal lobe".. Irregualr impulses can cause a chain reaction which would be a seizure. You checked the video and didn't see him doing anything wierd. WELLLLLll the reason may be the has been taking meds and the theraputic levels are high enough to keep the abnormalities ( spikes or waves ) from going into a seizure Bt I am no doctor.Do you really want your husband to get the assistance he needs and what he is needing? Or do you want to question what the neurologist says and go against his knowledge.A simple question you can answer would be. If your husband had had a heart attack and the doctors showed you the EKG with the spikes and prescribed medications for hi, would you go get it and have him take it??? Simple question. Both tests are showing electrical output. One in his brain (EEG) the other in hos his heart EKG.If yo uanwer you will accept the cardologists information without having to get another doctor to look at it. My question is WHY? Could it be because you have a fear of your husband having epilepsy because of all th bad tings associated in th stigma associated with epilepsy? The ball is in your court. Tests have shown seizure activity comming from the "frontotemporal lobe". and he has been prescribed medications. Of course the previous doctor had done that too. You are thinking about a false possitive when you have seen him in seizures and the last EEG shows seizure activity comming from "frontotemporal lobe".. SO what is a false possitive in the facts presented to you???? Again abnormalities in a EEG can be interperated as seizure activity. You thik seizure activity in the EEG means he was in a seizure. Which it doesn't. All the EEG is telling is that there is abnormal activith comming from that area.Again All a seizure is is an electrical impulse going off wrong in the brain which can cause a chain reaction" electrical impulse going off wromg in the brain is the spikes and waves seen in the EEG. They may or may not cause a chain reaction (th seizure itself. In order to gee what I am talking about get some dominoes and stand them up next to each other tap the first. It falls That tapis th electrical impulse going off wrong. Stand it closer to the next dominoe and then tape it, It then falsls into the next which falls into the next which falls into the next until all the dominoes are down. The chain reaction of all the dominoes falling is the seizure. I can have a chit load of dominoes all get tapped but the only one that keeps falling is the fist domiloe, Those are spikes and waves on the EEG. However it they hit just right they then fall into the next dominoe which then hits the next and the chain reaction is there. Stanl them all next to each other again. Tap the first but before that tap put your finger between th 2nd and 3rd dominoe. Ta it and it falls into the second which hit the next so th chain reaction is stopped. The tap was the electrical impulse going off wrongstarting a chain reaction. The second dominoe falls but it hits your finger and tha chain reaction. In that set up your finger showed what meds can and do do. Meds keep the irregular impulses from going off wrong and causing a chain reaction. I hope this helps and he gets his med levels adjusted and he gets seizure free Joe

Welcome back to the clubI remember your previous post and remember responding to it. Both Mereloaded posted that many ofthe thngs your husband was doingwhile sleeping could be seizures. I finished reading this post and I see you seem to htink that he still doesn't have epilepsy.WHen the neurologist was refering to him having a certain number of seizure activities that does not mean he is in the seizure itself. The EEG is showing the electrical output from the brain. It is not showing the seizure byt the output that MAY cause them. In other words they are seeing irregular impulses comming from the "frontotemporal lobe".. Irregualr impulses can cause a chain reaction which would be a seizure.  You checked the video and didn't see him doing anything wierd. WELLLLLll the reason may be the has been taking meds and the theraputic levels are high enough to keep the abnormalities ( spikes or waves ) from going into a seizure Bt I am no doctor.Do you really want your husband to get the assistance he needs and what he is needing? Or do you want to question what the neurologist says and go against his knowledge.A simple question you can answer would be. If your husband had had a heart attack and the doctors showed you the EKG with the spikes and prescribed medications for hi, would you go get it and have him take it??? Simple question. Both tests are showing electrical output. One in his brain (EEG) the other in hos his heart EKG.If yo uanwer you will accept the cardologists information without having to get another doctor to look at it. My question is WHY? Could it be because you have a fear of your husband having epilepsy because of all th bad tings associated in th stigma associated with epilepsy?  The ball is in your court. Tests have shown seizure activity comming from the "frontotemporal lobe". and he has been prescribed medications. Of course the previous doctor had done that too. You are thinking about a false possitive when you have seen him in seizures and the last EEG shows seizure activity comming from "frontotemporal lobe".. SO what is a false possitive in the facts presented to you????  Again abnormalities in a EEG can be interperated as seizure activity. You thik seizure activity in the EEG means he was in a seizure. Which it doesn't. All the EEG is telling is that there is abnormal activith comming from that area.Again All a seizure is is an electrical impulse going off wrong in the brain which can cause a chain reaction" electrical impulse going off wromg in the brain is the spikes and waves seen in the EEG. They may or may not cause a chain reaction (th seizure itself. In order to gee what I am talking about get some dominoes and stand them up next to each other tap the first. It falls That tapis th electrical impulse going off wrong. Stand it closer to the next dominoe and then tape it, It then falsls into the next which falls into the next which falls into the next until all the dominoes are down. The chain reaction of all the dominoes falling is the seizure. I can have a chit load of dominoes all get tapped but the only one that keeps falling is the fist domiloe, Those are spikes and waves on the EEG. However it they hit just right they then fall into the next dominoe which then hits the next and the chain reaction is there. Stanl them all next to each other again. Tap the first but before that tap put your finger between th 2nd and 3rd dominoe. Ta it and it falls into the second which hit the next so th chain reaction is stopped. The tap was the electrical impulse going off wrongstarting a chain reaction. The second dominoe falls but it hits your finger and tha chain reaction. In  that set up your finger showed what meds can and do do. Meds keep the irregular impulses from going off wrong and causing a chain reaction. I hope this helps and he gets his med levels adjusted and he gets seizure free Joe

Welcome back to the clubI remember your previous post and remember responding to it. Both Mereloaded posted that many ofthe thngs your husband was doingwhile sleeping could be seizures. I finished reading this post and I see you seem to htink that he still doesn't have epilepsy.WHen the neurologist was refering to him having a certain number of seizure activities that does not mean he is in the seizure itself. The EEG is showing the electrical output from the brain. It is not showing the seizure byt the output that MAY cause them. In other words they are seeing irregular impulses comming from the "frontotemporal lobe".. Irregualr impulses can cause a chain reaction which would be a seizure. You checked the video and didn't see him doing anything wierd. WELLLLLll the reason may be the has been taking meds and the theraputic levels are high enough to keep the abnormalities ( spikes or waves ) from going into a seizure Bt I am no doctor.Do you really want your husband to get the assistance he needs and what he is needing? Or do you want to question what the neurologist says and go against his knowledge.A simple question you can answer would be. If your husband had had a heart attack and the doctors showed you the EKG with the spikes and prescribed medications for hi, would you go get it and have him take it??? Simple question. Both tests are showing electrical output. One in his brain (EEG) the other in hos his heart EKG.If yo uanwer you will accept the cardologists information without having to get another doctor to look at it. My question is WHY? Could it be because you have a fear of your husband having epilepsy because of all th bad tings associated in th stigma associated with epilepsy? The ball is in your court. Tests have shown seizure activity comming from the "frontotemporal lobe". and he has been prescribed medications. Of course the previous doctor had done that too. You are thinking about a false possitive when you have seen him in seizures and the last EEG shows seizure activity comming from "frontotemporal lobe".. SO what is a false possitive in the facts presented to you???? Again abnormalities in a EEG can be interperated as seizure activity. You thik seizure activity in the EEG means he was in a seizure. Which it doesn't. All the EEG is telling is that there is abnormal activith comming from that area.Again All a seizure is is an electrical impulse going off wrong in the brain which can cause a chain reaction" electrical impulse going off wromg in the brain is the spikes and waves seen in the EEG. They may or may not cause a chain reaction (th seizure itself. In order to gee what I am talking about get some dominoes and stand them up next to each other tap the first. It falls That tapis th electrical impulse going off wrong. Stand it closer to the next dominoe and then tape it, It then falsls into the next which falls into the next which falls into the next until all the dominoes are down. The chain reaction of all the dominoes falling is the seizure. I can have a chit load of dominoes all get tapped but the only one that keeps falling is the fist domiloe, Those are spikes and waves on the EEG. However it they hit just right they then fall into the next dominoe which then hits the next and the chain reaction is there. Stanl them all next to each other again. Tap the first but before that tap put your finger between th 2nd and 3rd dominoe. Ta it and it falls into the second which hit the next so th chain reaction is stopped. The tap was the electrical impulse going off wrongstarting a chain reaction. The second dominoe falls but it hits your finger and tha chain reaction. In that set up your finger showed what meds can and do do. Meds keep the irregular impulses from going off wrong and causing a chain reaction. I hope this helps and he gets his med levels adjusted and he gets seizure free Joe

EEG abnormalities are not

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2015-04-06 - 10:55

EEG abnormalities are not supposed to be interpreted as he was in seizureGo and start doing some research you are on a site that can assist you in many ways. Start with the help section. Epilepsy 101. Then types of seizures. types of epilepsy and triggers. it doesn't tell anything about his night behavior then Jixin I am just happy you understand better. I know I went thru the underground, But back then I was becomming a teen and there were no forums. I used the library a lot I hope he gets the assistance he needs and gets seizure free Joe Oh and if yo uhave any more questions you know where we are just ask someone will be answering