Please feel free to ask the technician questions at any time during the test. The most important things to do during the test are to relax and follow the technician's instructions. While the technician will clean most of this paste from your hair following the test, you may want to bring a scarf or wig with you as well. The quality of the test will improve if you have a chance to relax for a few minutes beforehand.Ī special cream is used to attach the electrodes to your scalp during this test. Please arrive a few minutes early for your test. However, avoid coffee, tea, sodas, and other drinks and food that contain caffeine. Unless you are instructed otherwise, you should eat normally. The technician needs to know what medicines you are taking, so if you take several medications you may want to bring a list of them to the test. Do not use hair treatment products such as hair spray, conditioners or hair dressing, nor should you fix your hair in tight braids or cornrows.Ĭontinue to take your prescription medicine unless specifically instructed by your physician to discontinue use. Please remove any hair extensions or additions.

So that our technicians can properly apply the electrodes to your scalp, please shampoo your hair the night before the test. The actual recording time varies but usually lasts about 30 minutes. Part of this time is spent in applying the electrodes. The test usually takes 1 to 1½ hours to perform. This information is used to help identify a wide variety of neurological problems. Patterns of the brain's electrical activity provide information about specific brain functions. An EEG or electroencephalogram is a completely safe and painless procedure for recording the electrical activity produced by the brain.

What is a eeg test