What is an EEG?
The brain produces electricity which is detected on the surface of the head (Mureriwa, 2017a). An Electroencephalograph (EEG) is a non-invasive computerized recording of electrical brain activity. The recording is conducted by a clinician or technician who places electrodes on specified locations of the head(Mureriwa, 2017a). The electrode placement system used to place electrodes on the head is the 10-20 system.
The difference between the routine EEG and Quantitative EEG
The Quantitative EEG (qEEG) is able to generate head maps which illustrate the distribution of components of the EEG, namely Delta, Theta, Alpha and Beta (Mureriwa,2017a). Furthermore, specialized qEEG software is able to generate brain scans that identify cortical and subcortical source/generators of abnormal brainwave patterns that are displayed(Mureriwa,2017a).
How is the EEG report used at the Neuropsychology Medicolegal Practice?
As discussed above, the EEG is used to map out electrical activity in the brain. The EEG report provides the Dr. with invaluable information for a medico-legal claim. The findings on an EEG are used as a marker(s) to identify abnormalities in the brain. Furthermore, based on psychophysiology, the EEG can be used to identify possibly traumatic brain injury, ADHD, neurodevelopmental disorders, or neurocognitive disorders to name a few.
