• Preparing the patient helps to insure a higher quality EEG recording.
• Electrode impedance is easier to lower if the patient has clean hair with no hair-care- products on it.
• Sleep is an important part of an EEG recording and very useful for recording seizure activity. If the patient has less than a full night’s sleep, they are more likely to nap during the EEG recording.
• Sometimes the physician will recommend that the patient stay awake all night before coming in for their EEG. In those cases, the patient will need someone to drive them to and from the appointment.
• Caffeine can keep the patient awake during the EEG even if they are tired, so it should be avoided the day of the EEG.

• The EEG will take about an hour and a half. Young children may take longer.
• The patient’s head will be measured with a tape measure, and your hair parted and pony-tailed.
• The patient’s scalp will be marked with a crayon type marker.
• The patient’s scalp will be cleaned with an abrasive scrub. It feels gritty but not painful.
• For routine EEG recordings, electrodes will be applied with a paste that easily washes out of the patient’s hair.
• For long-term recordings sometimes collodion glue is used to apply the electrodes but this can easily be removed. at the end of the recording.

• Pediatric patients will remain with their parents during the EEG recording.
• Parents may not hold children because it produces artifacts in the EEG recording.
• Parents may sit on the bed with their child and the child’s legs may be draped across the parent’s lap. This will provide the child with the comfort of knowing their parent is with them.
• The child’s head must remain on the pillow.
• Parents should comfort the child but may not pat or bounce on the bed.
• Parents should encourage the child to relax and try to take a nap, reassuring the child that they will be with them during the EEG recording.
• Children are very susceptible to suggestive yawning. The technologist and parent may pretend to yawn in front of the child to encourage sleepiness.

• The technologist will customize the EEG recording based on the medical history of the patient and any current or new symptoms.
• The patient should be sure to tell the technologist of any new symptoms that have developed since they last had an appointment with their physician.
• The neurodiagnostic technologist is a trained allied-healthcare professional and will keep your medical history and data confidential or new symptoms. 

There are several things that can activate change in the EEG. These are called activation procedures.

• Eye opening and closing causes a reaction in the EEG and is done at the beginning of the EEG recording.
• Hyperventilation can produce changes in the EEG and is also done in most routine EEG recordings unless contraindicated.
• Photic stimulation (a flashing strobe light) rarely produces abnormal changes in the EEG but is done routinely.
• Sleep can bring out abnormalities in the EEG. If possible drowsiness and light sleep should be recorded in all patients.

• Sometimes the technologist will ask the patient to answer a questions, remember a word or perform a task during the EEG.
• Sometimes it is necessary to interrupt the EEG briefly to replace an electrode or reposition the patient to eliminate an artifact being recorded by the EEG electrodes. The EEG electrodes are very sensitive and sometimes record electrical activity from other instruments or electronics.
• The patient is asked to silence their cell phone and sometimes to turn it off during the EEG recording.

After an EEG is completed, the technologist will make every effort to remove the electrode paste or collodion from the patient’s scalp and hair but the patient may wish to schedule time to return home to shampoo their hair before returning to work.

• Neurodiagnostic testing requires interpretation by a physician trained in neurophysiology.
• The technologist will not provide you with test results but can give an estimate of the time needed for the results to be sent to your referring physician.