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Subject: Re: Fibrillations during EEG I have had fibrillations since 1991 with negative EMG's untill recently when it was borderline. I have never had the fibrillations while I was having the EMG. Recently I had 2 EEG's; the first one I had 5-6 fibrillations while it was being done and was abnormal, the second I had no fibrillations and it was normal. Can you help me to understand the significance of "4 to 5 hz rhythmic sharp waves with a positive component at F7-T3, Fp1-F-3. An irritable cortex was suggested. There was asymmetry in alpha activity being decreased in voltage and less organized in the left compared to the right." My risk factors are probable brief exposure to a mist of red fuming nitric acid while in the Gulf War, and a fall from 15 feet in 1985. I do not have any known history of any brain infection. Do either of the risk factors seem plausible to explain the report? Thanks for any help you can give me.
Dear Pamela: What you are trying to state is not very clear to me, and I suspect that you may have misunderstood the meaning of the word "fibrillation", as also the interpretation of your EMG and EEG. The following are some facts for your understanding: 1. Fibrillations are electrical events in muscles that cannot be experienced or felt subjectively by individuals (who have them) under any circumstances. They are looked for and can be detected during the needle examination part of the EMG test. Fibrillations in muscles are almost always abnormal, and commonly imply a loss of nerve supply to the muscle fibrillating, or some form of damage to the muscle itself. 2. In contrast, "fasciculations" in muscles are often felt by the individuals who have them, and can also be seen by the examining physician. They are looked for on EMG (needle exam). Fasciculations may or may not be a sign of a major underlying neurological problem. 3. Neither fibrillations nor fasciculations are looked for in an EEG, which is a test designed to look at brain electrical activity, and not muscle electrical activity. 4. The findings you describe on the EEG may or may not be normal. Normal variants on EEG can be mistaken for a serious abnormality by the less experienced eye. I do not think your "risk factors" are of any importance whatever. Good luck! |
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