Question 1

what would make a mildly abnormal eeg?

Accepted Answer

Many causes: There are many causes of a mildly abnormal eeg from sleepiness (which can look like slowing) to medications, to medical problems causing a confusional state (delirium) to stroke and so on. Mildly abnormal eeg's are also sometimes seen in people without a definite neurological problem.

Question 2

what does a finding of "midly abnormal eeg" mean in a patient with dementia?

Accepted Answer

Means no seizures: EEG's are best designed to look for seizures and assess some rudimentary levels of consciousness, not necessarily the same as alertness or cognitive capacity.  The EEG abnormalities that you may find detailed in the report itself are likely as a result of the underlying dementia.  No seizure disorder detected in this case.

Question 3

what could cause an abnormal eeg?

Accepted Answer

Too many causes: The eeg is a measure of the electrical activity of the brain.  The brain activity may run rough due to lack of sleep, medications, illness, drugs, brain damage, tumors, malformations, etc.  Many findings on eeg are without explanation.  Specific patterns may indicate a specific disease condition or be associated with a specific genetic disorder.  Children can have strange but benign abnormalities.

Question 4

what can cause an abnormal eeg report?

Accepted Answer

EEG: Seizures, Encephalopathies, Delirium, Endocrine disorders, Brain death.Dementia, Encephalitis, Substance toxicities or withdrawal states.

Question 5

what are causes of abnormal eeg results?

Accepted Answer

EEGs are hard: An abnormal eeg can mean many things.  Intermittent changes in eeg, like theta discharges or spikes, can be associated with epileptic seizures or other intermittent symptoms like migraine.  Continuous changes, like slow background, can be an effect of drugs or internal disorders like liver or kidney disease.  Changes in one spot of the head could mean damage like stroke or tumor.

Question 6

what is the next step after having an abnormal eeg?

Accepted Answer

Consult a Neurolgist: If you have an abnormal eeg, it depends on how abnormal it is, and what is your other medical and neurolgic history.  Really only a specialist should advise you what your next step is. It might be medicine, it might be just watching things.

Question 7

do they need to catch the spike in the abnormal eeg in order to do anything about it?

Accepted Answer

Its helpful: Localization of the source of seizures and assessment of a medications ability to prevent clinical seizures can be  gleaned from a single eeg study. Epilepsy is a clinical diagnosis, one best handles by a trusted epileptologist.

Question 8

can you tell me if they needed to catch the spike in the abnormal eeg in order to do anything about it?

Accepted Answer

An abnormal EEG: This can be quite informative. Having had a normal eegf does not exclude a clinical problem like epilepsy.

Question 9

possible reasons for abnormal eeg results for my toddler?

Accepted Answer

Many possibilities: Eeg is helpful inmany ways. Focal slowing, generalized slowing, focal seizure activity, generalized seizure activity are among the possible reasons an eeg might be considered abnormal. After age 2 the eeg of a child is similar to an adult in many ways.

Question 10

can lamictal cause abnormal eeg results?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Although Lamictal is used to treat epilepsy, a condition characterized often by abnormal eeg, it does affect the brain's electrical activity. As such it certainly does have the potential to change the eeg, just as does any other anti-epileptic drug/.

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Doctor answers about:

Mildly abnormal eeg

A member asked:

What would make a mildly abnormal eeg?

A member asked:

What does a finding of "midly abnormal eeg" mean in a patient with dementia?

A member asked:

What could cause an abnormal eeg?

A member asked:

What can cause an abnormal eeg report?

A member asked:

What are causes of abnormal eeg results?

A member asked:

What is the next step after having an abnormal eeg?

A member asked:

Do they need to catch the spike in the abnormal eeg in order to do anything about it?

A member asked:

Can you tell me if they needed to catch the spike in the abnormal eeg in order to do anything about it?

A member asked:

Possible reasons for abnormal eeg results for my toddler?

A member asked:

Can lamictal cause abnormal eeg results?

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