Question Title: QUESTIONS ABOUT MY EEG

After having a seizure three months ago, my Doctor suggested I have an EEG to help put my mind at ease as I had been experiencing a fair bit of anexity lately and was concerned I may be somehow provoking a seizure. In my case, the cause of my seizure has been determined, and I am taking Dilantin daily to prevent any more in the future.

When meeting with the technician who performed the EEG, I politely explained my Doctor felt the "flashing light" test was not necessary, and I made it clear I did not want this included in my test. Upon laying on the bed to start the test, the technician told me to close my eyes, and upon opening them, she began to flash such lights into my eyes until I again told her it was not to be included in the test. Needless to say, I was furious throughout the entire EEG, and was also very edgy and tense.

Is it possible my emotions will have a great impact on the results captured in the EGG? If so, will another be needed for an acurate read?

Thanks for your time!

Dear Barbara:

1. Tension, anxiety, and anger should not affect your brain electrical activity (as recorded on EEG) in any way. The two effects such a mental state can potentially have on the EEG are (i) excessive artefact from muscle contraction on the scalp, which sometimes has a negative impact on the quality of the recording, and (ii) inability to sleep during the recording - sleep is often a valuable means of eliciting abnormalities that may not appear during wakefulness.

2. Photic stimulation, in most EEG labs (including ours), is a ROUTINELY used stimulation technique that can be extremely valuable diagnostically in a minority of cases. There are no contraindications to the use of this procedure. I am really surprised that your neurologist requested for a study without photic stimulation, and I am even more surprised at your excessive reaction to the technician's mistake.