A video EEG (electroencephalograph) records what you are doing or experiencing on video tape while an EEG test records your brainwaves. The purpose is to be able to see what is happening when you have a seizure or event and compare the picture to what the EEG records at the same time. Sounds that occur during the testing are also recorded - this can pick up if a person talks or makes sounds during an event. By doing this, doctors reading the EEG can tell if the seizure or event was related to the electrical activity in the brain. If so, we'd call this an epilepsy seizure.
Video EEG tests are usually done in a hospital setting where seizures can be monitored in a safe way.
Video EEG tests can be done at home or in the outpatient setting, like an EEG lab.
When testing is done in the hospital, a number of safety steps will be taken. Monitoring units have different physical layouts that allow staff to watch you closely. Here are some examples of other safety strategies that may be used:
Authored By: Joseph I. Sirven MD Patty Obsorne Shafer RN, MN Steven C. Schachter, MD
Reviewed By: Joseph I. Sirven MD Patty Obsorne Shafer RN, MN
How to Read an EEG
What if my EEG was normal?
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