When is nocturnal EEG monitoring indicated?

• epilepsy in any form, to monitor therapy and the course of the disease
• in case of conditions similar to epileptic seizures
• paroxysmal sleep disorders (including sleepwalking, bruxism, somnambulism, apnoea, etc.)
• episodes of sudden urination (enuresis)
• in the case of a sharp drop in the child’s performance at school – to exclude epilepsy, as there may be asymptomatic forms
• sleep disorders (insomnia, shallow sleep, restless and short sleep, frequent awakenings in the middle of the night, nightmares, somnambulism, urinary incontinence);

What is the procedure of nocturnal EEG monitoring?

The complete cycle of nocturnal EEG monitoring is long and consists of:

• A period of wakefulness to sleep with the performance of functional tests. Background activity is recorded, tests with photostimulation and hyperventilation.
• The period of falling asleep is the most informative part of the study.
• Sleep period. Registration of brain activity during the sleep period and ideally without a blanket for better video registration, especially if there are seizures in sleep. Therefore, take comfortable long-sleeved pyjamas for the study.
• Waking period.
• The waking period after sleep with the performance of functional tests (background recording, eye opening, eye closing, photostimulation and hyperventilation).

What do parents need to know about how to prepare for the procedure?

Electroencephalography with video monitoring can be prescribed at any age, even for the youngest children.

It can be performed during pregnancy, breastfeeding, elderly patients and the seriously ill.

EEG is painless and does not cause unpleasant sensations.

There are no contraindications to the procedure.

Before the procedure, explain to the child or adult who is scheduled for EEG video monitoring what will be happening. It is better to explain it to the child in a playful way (“let’s put a space cap on your head”).

Be sure to tell your child that he or she will not be hurt or uncomfortable and that you will be there for him or her.

To keep the child from getting bored, take his favourite toy, pictures, colouring books, tablet computer with cartoons.

Medications should not be cancelled or adjusted.

Special preparation is not required, it is recommended to wash the head before the study for better contact of the electrodes.

Important:

During EEG monitoring you can play with your child, feed him, read books, watch TV – in short, do everything you do in everyday life.

The only thing you need to do is not to leave the room so that you can be constantly monitored by the video camera.