What to expect during EEG?

[callincolyn]

Hi everyone. For those folks who have either had an EEG or who have taken their child for one, how did it go for you? Our Ped is going to order one for DS12 (part of inattentive ADD screening) and the only way I know of to explain it is what I've seen on TV Scientific American Frontiers. Also, the Ped wants me to keep DS12 up late the night before the EEG in hopes that he'll be tired and fall alseep during the test. Is this the usual procedure? I feel clueless

[finnmom]

Hi

I give you the finnish way, but I think it has to be quite equal to your´s.

My ds was awake from 3 am before the test at 9 am, so he could easily fall asleep during the test, they want to monitor brainwave´s in sleep and awake.

first they put the scanner´s on ds head, with some sticky geel (I suppos it´s better for the wave´s to go to register) they taped all thing. when ds was lying in the bed infront of the camera they asked some question´s from him, showed some light´s and noice´s. then nurse told ds to go to sleep and they monitored him durng sleep too.

I was in there all the time, helped ds to fall asleep by holding hand´s, we were told to get his favorit stuffanimal with us to help him calm down.

I hope this help´s, I wish you good luck with it, I think it´s just standard thing to do when evaluating adhd, in here at least!

Marja

[Anna]

We never had to do this test with Conner...Maybe as he gets older we might? Let us know the results!

Anna

[aimee30]

Hi callincolyn! I had this done a long time ago (over 10 years). They had me stay awake all night but it didn't help much with trying to fall asleep. They ended up having to give me something to help me along.

Like finnmom said, they use a gel to put these wire like things on your head. It wasn't painful at all, but could be a little scary for a younger child. Not sure about your 12yo. I would think that he would be o.k. because of his age.

Good luck and let us know!

[catseye]

My sd had a seizure before she was 2 years old, in order to take her off the seizure medicine we had to have the brain wave test done... And yes we were told to keep her up late, and wake her early so she would be tired... Sd was only 3 1/2 or so at the time, and quite a handfull...

We did keep her up late, and woke her early for the appt... sd fought us all the way when they tried to color on her head, where they were going to put the little thingy's (sorry I dont know what they are called)... We had to wrap her in a blanket and hold her down for it... Please remember my sd is also autistic, and touch is very difficult for her, so I am quite sure this is NOT normal (as everything else with her!)...

With her being so young it also was a fight to stop her from trying to take them back off once attached... It took a long time for my sd to calm down enough to sleep, I laid in the bed next to her which helped some.. Anyway after the test was done they gave us the "read out" which to us was just a bunch of squigly lines on the paper... We took that to the neurologist, and they were able to take her off the medications she was on for the seizures...

I am sure your son and his age, will make it alot easier for you guys though!

[AustinsMom]

My daughter had one some years ago--and she has a very low pain tolerance--but then they scrubbed the spot where they put the electrode to get off dead skin, etc. and get a good connection. She thought the scrubbing was uncomfortable. Don't know if they still do that. Maybe someone else will know. They kept saying it wouldn't hurt at all and I think she would have done better with some advance warning. Good luck with yours.

[dfp]

My son (7) did one 2 weeks ago. They had us wake him up at 4 am so he would sleep during the test. They really need to see them sleeping.

When we went to the room they put icky gel at different spots on his head and stuck wires into the gel. Then they wrapped his head in gauze so he wouldn't dislodge the leads. Then they dimmed the lights and did some strobey things with lights. Then that stopped and they hoped for him to sleep. I was in the room with him and I was a big distraction so he kept looking at me and trying to have a chat. I finally left the room and he fell asleep.

When they woke him up I was out of the room and that was kind of disconcerting for him so he was a bit sad. But I told him I'd take him to the toy store for being good and that made it all better.

He said the leads pulled at his head a bit, but they didn't hurt. And he REALLY needed a hair wash that night.

It's not a big deal overall but it does take some time. Don't give your child any caffeine, and follow their request to keep the child up late/wake up early because it is important that they sleep. If they don't you'll have to do the test all over again on another day and it's enough of a nuisance that you don't want to do that!

Hope that helps.

dfp

[callincolyn]

Thank you all for responding! Your comments have been most helpful. So far, the only serious difficulty that I can see is getting him up at the recommended (by the hosp.) 1:00 a.m. and keeping him up. I don't function very well under sleep deprivation so it's going to be hard on both of us. I'll have him shampoo twice before he goes to bed so it will be more likely that the gel and the leads to stick. He's really looking forward to this, surprisingly enough. I just hope he's not too excited to nod off while we're there. Thank you all!

~Amy

[callincolyn]

The EEG showed normal results, so DS12 doesn't have an "subclinical seizure activity." I had to get him up at 1 a.m. and keep him up, which was the hardest part for me since I really need sleep. He was excited about it, but did manage to fall asleep within about 7 minutes after the strobe light testing. The pediatric wing of this hospital was perfectly set up for kids, albeit younger kids. He said some of the scalp marking hurt a bit as did the wash cloth hair wash the nurse gave him afterward, but that was the only thing that bothered him at all. He didn't nap after we got home, but I did. He went to bed at his regular time, but was wiped out the next day. In general, he thought the whole thing was cool. His father, in WI, believes that there's nothing wrong, that DS just is immature and needs to work harder. His dad and his wife think all Psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors are quacks and are likely not to follow any treatment plan, which is a rotten thing. I guess that's a post for another board, but it makes me furious and sad for DS, whom it really hurts. We go to the Psychiatrist on Wednesday the 19th and we'll see what he has to say. Both the Pediatrician and the therapist support the inattentive ADD diagnosis and suggest that Straterra might be very helpful. I just want to make sure we've got all of our bases covered. Thanks, everyone, for all of your support!

[finnmom]

Callincolyn
I´am clad to hear you got trough it nicely. I agree that the getting him up and keeping awake is the hardest part, it´s so hard for me to keep MYSELF awake ;D Luckily my hubby tooked that part I just got him to hospital ;D

It´s good to hear there were no discovery´s on EEG i hope your exH will get the picture after you´ve been trough all these examination´s, it would be so much better for your ds, let´s hope the best!!

Marja