New EEG instrument saves testing time

The test is routinely used to diagnose conditions such as seizure disorders, bipolar and unipolar disorders, dementia and ADD, said local neurologist Dr. Carlos Sullivan. The principal behind the EEG involves using electrodes to test the electrical output of the brain in voltages.

“What you are doing with these electrodes is measuring the voltage differences between two points,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan recently began using a new EEG instrument called the Net Station Dense Array EEG Workstation by Electrogeodesics Inc., this past August. The machine comes with a specialized electrode net and is cutting down testing prep time by up to an hour, in most cases, Sullivan said.

“We love it,” Sullivan said.

To understand the importance of the new technology, Sullivan said that you have to appreciate the EEG’s history and the lengths that technologists used to have to go to get good results.

Initially, EEGs were performed after lengthy and painstaking application of individual electrodes at the end of a wire, to precise points on the scalp. This involved the use of pins, gel and scratching of the skin to improve conductivity.

Sullivan said that in the late 1980s, technology improved, with a new skullcap with strategically placed holes that helped simply the procedure. However, the test preparation still involved the use of gel and scratching of the skin on the scalp to get a better connection. This time-consuming procedure left patients feeling fidgety and sent them home with greasy hair. But according to Sullivan, that’s the EEG of the past.

“The development of the computer has really advanced this EEG technol-ogy,” Sullivan said. The new technology has provided a new ease and efficiency in applying the electrodes necessary to obtain brain wave data.

Now, all technologists need to do is apply a netted electrode with prepositioned electrodes onto the patients head. The new cap requires no irritating scratch of the head or messy gels, substantially cutting down on the typical hour-long prep time.

“We’re usually reading in under five minutes,” Sullivan said. This reduces the total test time, allowing patients to finish the procedure in as little as 30 to 60 minutes, shaving an hour off the former time. The secret is in the instrument’s amplifier.

“It’s able to detect a weaker signal with better quality,” Sullivan said.

Gone are the long sheets of paper chronicling brainwave impressions in ink. Readings now appear directly on the computer screen.

And with the capacity to go from 32 up to 256 electrodes, Sullivan said the new instrument could also better identify abnormalities like the location of seizures in the brain, called foci, with more precision.

As an added bonus, use of the computer system allows access to software, which compares results to a working database of EEG readings for physician referral, said Sullivan.

Freelance writer Paula McGarvey may be reached via e-mail at pjmcgarvey@in-tch.com.