Does an abnormal eeg confirm epilepsy in you?

Yes and no: The eeg is a tool to be used by a trained neurologist to help diagnose epilepsy. The eeg alone is of little value. The history and examination are the important elements. Eeg recorded during a seizure can be very helpful but difficult to obtain. Baseline eeg can show abnormal activity, especially in children, even though the patient has never had a seizure. It is valuable in the right hands.

Sometimes: There are several possible abnormalities on an eeg which can confirm the diagnosis of epilepsy, if the patient's history is consistent with that. However, some eegs may be "over-interpreted" as being consistent with seizures when they are not, so it is important to work a neurologist who has been trained in eeg interpretation. A seizure may be recorded during an eeg, that may be confirmatory.