Your guide to the EEG scan

Your guide to the EEG scan

Dear Parents,

Your child is going to have an EEG scan. This is a neurological test. It helps the doctors to check your child's brain activity.

What is an EEG?

An EEG records the electrical activity of the brain. This recording of brain waves takes about 20 minutes. It is not painful or uncomfortable. The best results are obtained at rest, with eyes closed, or during sleep. We know that it can be difficult for children to lie still for this long, depending on their development and age. This is why we tailor the examination to each child.

It will help us a lot if you think about a few things in advance:

Useful information before the EEG:

• Bring enough time with you.
• If possible, siblings should not be present during the examination.
• Babies and young children: Your child should be as tired as possible for the examination so that he or she can fall asleep for the EEG. Please do not let your child sleep during the journey (if necessary, take an accompanying person with you to keep him/her awake). Babies should be full before the examination.
• Please remember to bring items that your child needs to feel comfortable (teddy bear, blanket, dummy, milk).
• If your child is older, you are welcome to bring an audio book to listen to or a book to read aloud.

Procedure for an EEG:

1. First come to the Emergency Department of the Children's Hospital and register at the reception desk. You will be collected from there by our EEG department.
2. Put on the EEG cap and apply the electrode cream.
3. Connect and start the EEG
4. Duration of the EEG approximately 20 minutes, longer depending on the course and circumstances.
5. After the EEG, the cap is removed and you and your child return to House D. The results of the examination and the next steps will be discussed with you.

Long-term video EEG recording:

This EEG will be recorded under video monitoring for at least 24 hours. You will be admitted as an in-patient.

Please ensure that your child wears comfortable clothing that does not need to be pulled over the head. The EEG electrodes are attached to the head with a type of plaster. The whole thing is then covered with a cap and wrapped. You or your child will carry the recording device with you at all times in a bag. You are free to move around the clinic during this time, but please avoid activities that involve strong movements or vibrations, such as swinging, rocking, jumping or trampolining, and wearing headphones, as these may interfere with the recording. The electrodes are removed when the recording is complete. You should then wash your hair thoroughly.

Sleep deprivation EEG:

Depending on their age, they may be deprived of sleep for a few hours or all night. This means that your child will be woken up during the night or not allowed to sleep at all. Please think about a quiet activity for the night. If you cannot spend the night with your child, the bed may be moved to the corridor so that you can observe your child more closely.