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Neurology (Expert Forum)
MRI and EEG
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MRI and EEG
by Faith, Sep 21, 1999 12:00AM
Could you explain to me what this part of my MRI report means?
"MRI head without and with gadolinium including axial FLAIR images demonstrates DILATED PERIVASCULAR SPACES IN THE PARIETO-OCCIPITAL REGIONS BILATERALLY."
Also, could you tell me whether these things are expected and normal or not on an EEG report?
from a previous EEG--
"...Photic stimulation elicited a symmetric driving response posteriorly..."
from a recent EEG--
"The background contains some posterior moderate voltage symmetric 10-11 Hz. Alpha activity that attenuates with eye opening. ...Photic stimulation elicited some symmetric posterior driving response. Despite premedication with chloral hydrate, adequate levels of sleep were not obtained. Partial sleep was observed and was associated with attenuation of posterior alpha activity and the emergence of generalized background slowing. Rare vertex waves were identified."
(Report came back "essentially" normal... can you tell me what the slightly 'abnormal' things are and could mean?)
Flashing lights are a real problem to me.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS, Sep 21, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Lori:
The MRI report is difficult to tell you without seeing it. But I think they are saying that these perivascular spaces are normal findings of the subarchnoid spaces surrounding blood vessels in the brain. They are called Virchow-Robin spaces.
A phototic response can be seen in both normal and in epileptic people. The flashing lights they use sometimes help diagnose various types of epilepsy. Most of the time, this response is normal if it does not become prolonged after the photo stimulation has stopped. The alpha wave is something we use to see if the patient has a normal electrical background, and yours is within normal limits. Attenuation is normal during eye closing. I am not sure what is meant by partial sleep, It sounds to me that since you had vertex waves you should have been in stage II sleep. Without reading the EEG I can't tell you for sure. But the EEG sounds normal from what you indicate.
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
The MRI report is difficult to tell you without seeing it. But I think they are saying that these perivascular spaces are normal findings of the subarchnoid spaces surrounding blood vessels in the brain. They are called Virchow-Robin spaces.
A phototic response can be seen in both normal and in epileptic people. The flashing lights they use sometimes help diagnose various types of epilepsy. Most of the time, this response is normal if it does not become prolonged after the photo stimulation has stopped. The alpha wave is something we use to see if the patient has a normal electrical background, and yours is within normal limits. Attenuation is normal during eye closing. I am not sure what is meant by partial sleep, It sounds to me that since you had vertex waves you should have been in stage II sleep. Without reading the EEG I can't tell you for sure. But the EEG sounds normal from what you indicate.
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
