How and why do EEG children?

Quite often, any neurologic deviations in the health of the baby are associated with the state of the brain. Modern medicine allows not only to practically look inside this organ, but also to fix its work in different periods. Parents usually have all the research connected with the baby's brain, but most of them are completely safe and do not cause any pain or harm to the baby. This study is the EEG. Children can do it almost from birth. Let's see what it is when it is appointed.

The essence of encephalography

EEG is one of the methods for studying the activity of the brain. The method is based on recording the electrical potentials of a given organ. In the course of the study, a result is obtained in the form of visual curves - the encephalogram.

The structural unit of the brain is the neurons. They number billions, they are able to generate and conduct electrical impulses. The activity of a large number of nerve cells simultaneously and forms the bioelectric activity of the brain, which is fixed by the device.

The EEG of a child is done to determine the activity of brain cells. It, in turn, will show how effectively and properly the central body of the central nervous system monitors important systems and organs. A competent expert who evaluates the results of an encephalogram is able to determine the functional state of the child's nervous system. If there are deviations, then treatment is necessary.

Indications for encephalography

When, after the next visit to the doctor, the neurologist prescribes the EEG of the brain to the child, the parents immediately begin to think that something is wrong with their baby. But every mother should understand that such a study is not necessarily prescribed to babies with neurological abnormalities. On EEG can send and quite healthy child to estimate brain work. Even a therapist can prescribe the procedure, but neurologists often prescribe it under the following conditions, and this is done without fail:

1. Frequent cramps and seizures.
2. If the child sustains a head injury.
3. If there is a neoplasm in the brain.
4. The kid suffers from frequent headaches, there may be a loss of consciousness.
5. In cases of sleep disorders, including sleepwalking.
6. The child is often hot-tempered and irritable.
7. The child often cries for no reason.
8. Arterial pressure jumps are observed.
9. EEG is assigned to a child if he describes strange feelings and experiences unusual emotions.

But even in the absence of serious pathologies and abnormalities there can be oddities in the behavior of the baby, its development, in such cases the doctor most often also appoints encephalography. It will help to identify the causes of developmental lag, hyperactivity or poor memory and attention.

A neurologist physician prescribes EEG monitoring to children (procedure with a certain periodicity) if the following conditions and pathologies exist:

• Epilepsy to assess the degree of damage to the brain structures.
• Sleepwalking and other sleep disorders.
• Rehabilitation period after surgery in the brain area.
• In the presence of inflammatory diseases of the brain, for example, meningitis, meningoencephalitis.
• Pathologies of the perinatal period, for example, hydrocephalus in newborns.
• Presence of cerebral palsy.
• Autism is also an indication for EEG.
• Delayed mental and physical development.
• Enuresis and stammering.

As can be seen from the above, the EEG for children is prescribed for many problems that are directly or indirectly related to the work of the nervous system.

Objectives of EEG diagnostics

This study helps the doctor evaluate:

1. The nature of violations of the brain and the degree of their expression.
2. Location of the affected area of the brain.
3. Change of periods of sleep and wakefulness.
4. Efficiency of treatment.

Depending on what the EEG shows in the child, the doctor may come to a conclusion about the need for other procedures and studies. For example, you may need a CT scan.

How to prepare a child for the EEG procedure

Before you go to the procedure for encephalography, the child should be prepared. To do this, you must follow certain rules and recommendations:

1. Since the head of the baby will be installed sensors, then before the procedure you need to wash your hair.
2. If the procedure is done to a very small child, say, a baby, then it must be fed beforehand so that he is calm.
3. Since babies EEG are done during sleep, it is necessary to take into account in advance its sleep and wake schedule.
4. If the child is already over a year, then encephalography is done during the waking period, so it is important that the baby is calm and obeys all the doctor's instructions.
5. In order for a child to behave more confidently, you can take with him his favorite toy.
6. If the procedure is carried out by the girl, then it is necessary to remove all hair clips, jewelry and hair from the head.
7. If the therapy is medicated, then the procedure should not be stopped, you just have to tell the expert about it.
8. With young children at home, you can practice wearing a hat, including this in everyday games.

It is also important psychological preparation of the child, so psychologists recommend:

• Talk with the baby and describe the future procedure as an exciting game.
• You can take your favorite book with you to the clinic in order to distract the crumb from the process by reading.
• Be sure to correlate the usual regime of the child's day with the procedure. Breastfeed feed, and the older child should be in a state of wakefulness.
• You can rehearse in the home environment some of the doctor's commands: opening and closing eyes, breathing at different tempos.

If the parents are sensitive to the preliminary preparation of the baby for such a procedure responsibly, then everything will go quickly and smoothly.

Variants of EEG

The bioactivity of the brain can be fixed in a variety of ways, so doctors distinguish several variants of encephalography:

1. Routine way. For 15 minutes the brain's biopotentials are fixed, provocations are in parallel in the form of flashes of bright light or deep breathing.
2. Long-term option involves fixing the work of the brain with a view of daytime sleep.
3. Long-term measurements during the entire night's sleep.
4. The last option is a measurement with sleep deprivation (such an EEG is done very rarely for children, only if necessary).

What variant of an encephalography to choose, in each concrete case sariet the doctor.

Beginning of the procedure

If the neurologist appoints an EEG of the brain, which is shown in the children of this study, the expert will explain in detail after receiving the results. The procedure is carried out in a special room, in which no extraneous sounds penetrate. Here, the device is installed, which will fix the impulses of the brain in the form of a curve.

Before the procedure begins, a cap is put on the baby's head, it looks like a helmet with electrodes, to which the specialist applies the necessary number of sensors that are connected with the encephalograph. Biotoks, which are conducted through electrodes, are completely harmless for the child.

All equipment is necessarily grounded, and before applying sensors, the doctor wets them with water or saline solution to prevent the formation of an air cushion between the head and the electrode. On the ears of the baby wear special clip-electrodes, they do not conduct electric current.

What are the features of carrying out the EEG procedure

Taking into account the age of the child, the order of the encephalography is chosen. If the baby is very small, then he can lie on his mother's hands or on a changing table. The most important thing is for him to sleep. The whole procedure will take no more than 20 minutes, because there is a recording of brain activity during the sleep period.

The older children sit on the couch or in the armchair, the head should be straight, it can not be tilted forward so that its readings are distorted. A small patient should behave calmly during the study. EEG for older children is done a little differently. The procedure assumes already more complex studies, so it can take a lot longer.

Stages of encephalography

If we consider the standard EEG procedure, it consists of the following steps:

1. Recording of brain activity at rest - getting a "background curve".
2. Fixation of brain activity in the transition from dormancy to activity. This is a test with the opening and closing of the eyes. The child must execute the doctor's instructions.
3. Sample with hyperventilation. It allows you to identify epilepsy in a latent form, various brain tumors, prolonged stress. At the command of a specialist, the child makes deep breaths and exhalations. With a baby, such measurements can be turned into a game, asking him to "blow the hot tea" or "put out the candle".
4. Photostimulation helps to assess the adequacy of the psychomotor and speech development of the baby, and it is also possible to diagnose epileptic activity. With the help of a light bulb, periodic flashes of light are made, the eyes must be closed at the same time.

Usually the procedure takes about 30 minutes, if more research is needed, the time increases.

Evaluation of results

There are EEG norms in children that a neurologist should know, so parents are given a pattern or curve and description after the study. The following points should be reflected:

1. Rhythm (alpha, beta, theta and delta), its location and frequency.
2. Presumptive nature of pathology.
3. Preliminary diagnosis.

With this conclusion and drawing, a small patient with his mother goes to the neurologist, who will give all the explanations.

What does the alpha rhythm say?

If a specialist observes a violation of alpha rhythm, this may indicate the presence of neoplasm in the brain, trauma or hemorrhage. In a child, this may indicate a delay in development, especially if:

• Excessive amplitude and synchronism.
• Displacement of the center of activity from the parietal and occipital zones.
• Stormy activity during deep breathing.

Beta rhythm

If you make the EEG a child completely healthy, then this rhythm is fixed only in the frontal lobes. If there is a shift to the central parts of the brain, this may indicate a delay in mental development.

If a change in frequency or amplitude is diagnosed, then it can speak of a concussion or inflammatory processes in the tissues.

Assessment of theta and delta rhythm

These two rhythms can be fixed in a healthy baby only during sleep. Their presence in the encephalogram can speak of the dementia of the child, the propensity to psychosis or neurosis.

Outbreaks and acute waves are most often recorded with epileptiform activity and confirm the diagnosis of "epilepsy". Only EEG can be used to confirm this diagnosis.

All other indicators, which are reflected in the description of the curve, can only be analyzed and commented by a competent specialist. And only after the exact diagnosis is made, the necessary treatment can be prescribed.

Where to make an EEG to a child

You can make such a procedure in a medical institution that has the appropriate equipment and specialists for it. Despite the fact that the process of studying children and adults is practically the same, the doctor needs additional knowledge in the field of child encephalography.

As for the capital of Russia, an EEG to a child in Moscow can be done at the medical center "Neuro-Med". The medical institution has all the necessary equipment, and the most modern, specialists work in carrying out the children's EEG. Experienced doctors have enough knowledge to decipher the results, and quickly find a common language with the baby.

Do not be afraid of modern research, including encephalography. It is better to detect abnormalities in a timely manner and take appropriate measures, than for a long time without results, to treat the alleged disease.