One minute, you are fine. The next minute, you open your eyes and you are lying on the floor with no idea how you got there. What happened?
Unexplained fainting can be frightening and may be caused by a seizure. Many people experience this frightening occurrence. But how do you know if it is a seizure? And if it is a seizure, what is causing it? In an effort to more effectively answer these questions, Dr. Ikram Khan, Neurologist at Batesville Neurology, now offers a diagnostic test called Ambulatory Electroencephalogram (EEG).
An EEG measures and records both normal and abnormal brain activity. Abnormal brain activity may be a symptom of neurological disorders such as Epilepsy or Psychogenic Seizures. With EEG, long wires, called leads, are attached to a patients scalp. These leads record brain activity which is viewed by a doctor on a monitor. A standard EEG test takes a few hours and takes place in a hospital or clinic setting.
The Ambulatory EEG works the same way as a regular EEG, but it allows patients more freedom. Patients are still required to wear the leads, but the wires are connected to a portable light-weight recorder, which is stored in a case easily carried by the patient. When the leads sense brain activity, it is recorded by the machine. The machine records brain activity for up to 72 hours. Information from the recorder is downloaded for interpretation by the Neurologist. With Ambulatory EEG, patients are able to carry out their daily living activities. Patients’ brain activity can be recorded for up to 72 hours instead of just a few hours, providing significantly more information to physicians.
“With a regular EEG, abnormal activity is detected in about 30% of exams. Longer monitoring increases the chance of finding abnormal activity to 50 to 75% depending on how long the patient is monitored,” says Dr. Khan.
The new procedure is beneficial to patients in many ways. Besides allowing them to leave the office and increasing the chance of finding abnormal activity, patients can be more accurately diagnosed. Approximately 200,000 new cases of seizures are reported in America each year. Epileptic Seizures and Psychogenic Seizures have similar traits, making accurate diagnosis difficult. The increased effectiveness of the Ambulatory EEG, along with a thorough family history and physical examination allows physicians to make a more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment plan for their patients.
Another substantial benefit of Ambulatory EEG is its availability locally.
“Before we offered this service in Batesville, patients were required to travel out of the area for care,” says Dr. Khan. “Providing this service in Batesville allows patients greater convenience and less travel time.”
Ambulatory EEG patient Stanley Moreland says the procedure is quite convenient. The machine doesn’t even seem to bother him at all. He covers the leads with a cap and functions like normal. The first day he had the machine, he went to McDonalds.
“It’s much better than lying in a hospital bed,” he says.
To find out more about ambulatory EEG, or to make an appointment with Dr. Khan at Batesville Neurology, call (870) 307-0488.