Pediatric EEG & Neurophysiology

An EEG is a safe and painless test that is used to record electrical activity in the brain. Doctors typically use this test to:

• Detect and monitor problems that result in epilepsy (seizure disorder)
• Identify causes of sleep disorders or behavioral changes
• Evaluate brain activity after a severe head injury or before a heart or liver transplant

At SSM Health Cardinal Glennon our EEG team is just another component of our neurosciences department. The teams work closely together, relaying all findings with your child’s doctor to diagnose any potential problems.

To understand your child’s situation, we might run additional tests including:

• Overnight EEGs
• EMGs (to look at the electrical activity of skeletal muscles)
• Nerve conduction tests

Signs & Symptom of Irregular Brain Activity in Children

Signs that your child may have irregular brain activity can include:

• Dizzy spells
• Blurred vision
• Frequent headaches
• Vertigo (spinning sensation)
• Twitching
• Weakness on one side of the body

Preparing for the EEG

Prior to your visit, it’s important that we review all of your child’s medical records, including any previous diagnostic tests. To ensure a smoother process, you can send them ahead of time. Call our office at 314-577-5678 for information on where to send these.

Other preparation steps that must be taken include:

• Explaining the procedure to your child
• Making sure your child’s hair is clean and free of gels and oils
• Avoiding caffeine up to eight hours prior to the test

We may also recommend your child to stop taking certain medications prior to the test. If this is the case, we will work with their care team to ensure no interruption in care occurs.

What to Expect During an EEG

During the test, small metal discs (electrodes) are placed on your child’s scalp. These discs pick up any electric charges that their brain cells give off. The charges are recorded in a graph on the computer screen, or as a recording printed out on paper. A SLUCare Physician Group neurologist then interprets the reading to determine the results.

Although pain-free, an EEG might be a tad stressful for kids. In most cases, parents can stay with their child during the test. In total, the test will last about an hour.

EEG Results

After the test is complete, one of our neurologists will read and interpret the results. They will then send these to your child’s primary care doctors. This can take a few days, but know that we are taking the utmost care in reading all of your child’s results.

If you have any questions, or with to make an appointment, please call 314-577-5678. We’ll work with you every step of the way.