Quite often, any neurological abnormalities in the he alth of the baby are associated with the state of the brain. Modern medicine allows not only to practically look inside this organ, but also to fix its work in different periods. For parents, as a rule, all studies related to the child's brain cause concern, but most of them are completely safe and do not cause any pain or harm to the baby. Such a study is the EEG. Children can do it almost from birth. Let's see what it is when it's given.
Essence of encephalography
EEG is one of the methods for studying brain activity. The method is based on the registration of electrical potentials of a given organ. During the study, the result is obtained in the form of visual curves - encephalograms.
The structural unit of the brain are neurons. There are billions of them, they are able to generate and conduct electrical impulses. The activity of a large number of nerve cells simultaneously forms the bioelectric activity of the brain, which is recorded by the device.
EEG is done to a child to determine the activity of brain cells. She, in turn, will show how effective andcorrectly, the main organ of the central nervous system controls important systems and organs. A competent specialist who evaluates the results of an encephalogram is able to determine the functional state of the child's nervous system. If there are deviations, then treatment is necessary.
Indications for encephalography
When, after the next visit to the doctor, a neuropathologist prescribes an EEG of the child's brain, the parents immediately begin to think that something is wrong with their baby. But every mom should understand that such a study is not necessarily assigned to babies with neurological abnormalities. A completely he althy child can also be sent to the EEG to assess the functioning of the brain. Even a therapist can prescribe a procedure, but neurologists most often prescribe it for the following conditions, and this is done without fail:
- Frequent convulsions and seizures.
- If the child has a head injury.
- If there is a neoplasm in the brain.
- The baby suffers from frequent headaches, there may be a loss of consciousness.
- For sleep disorders, including sleepwalking.
- The child is often quick-tempered and irritable.
- Baby often cries for no reason.
- There are jumps in blood pressure.
- An EEG is assigned to a child if he describes strange sensations and experiences unusual emotions.
But even in the absence of serious pathologies and abnormalities, there may be oddities in the behavior of the baby, his development, in such cases, the doctor most often also prescribes encephalography. It will help to identify the reasons for the lagin development, hyperactivity or poor memory and attention.
A neuropathologist necessarily prescribes EEG monitoring for children (a procedure with a certain frequency) if the following conditions and pathologies are present:
- Epilepsy to assess the degree of damage to brain structures.
- Sleepwalking and other sleep disorders.
- Rehabilitation period after brain surgery.
- In the presence of inflammatory diseases of the brain, such as meningitis, meningoencephalitis.
- Pathologies of the perinatal period, such as hydrocephalus in newborns.
- Presence of cerebral palsy.
- Autism is also an indication for an EEG.
- Mental and physical retardation.
- Enuresis and stuttering.
As can be seen from the above, EEG is prescribed for children with many problems that are directly or indirectly related to the functioning of the nervous system.
Goals of EEG diagnostics
This study helps the clinician evaluate:
- The nature of brain disorders and their severity.
- Location of the damaged area of the brain.
- Change between periods of sleep and wakefulness.
- Effectiveness of treatment.
Depending on what the child's EEG shows, the doctor may decide that other procedures and tests are needed. For example, a CT scan may be needed.
How to prepare a child for the procedureEEG
Before going to the encephalography procedure, the child should be prepared. To do this, you must follow some rules and recommendations:
- Since the sensors will be installed on the baby's head, it is necessary to wash the hair before the procedure.
- If the procedure will be done on a very small child, say, a baby, then before that he must be fed so that he is calm.
- Because infants are EEG'd during sleep, it is necessary to take into account their sleep-wake schedule in advance.
- If the child is already over a year old, then encephalography is done during the waking period, so it is important that the baby is calm and follows all the doctor's instructions.
- To make your child feel more confident, you can take his favorite toy with you.
- If the procedure is performed on a girl, then all hairpins, jewelry and hair must be removed from the head.
- If drug therapy is being carried out, then you should not stop it before the procedure, you just need to tell the specialist about it.
- With young children, you can practice putting on a hat at home by including it in everyday games.
The psychological preparation of the child is also important, so psychologists recommend:
- Talk to the baby and describe the future procedure as an exciting game.
- You can take your favorite book with you to the clinic to distract the baby from the process by reading.
- Be sure to correlate the usual routine of the child's day with the procedure. Feed the baby, and the older child should be inwaking state.
- You can rehearse some of the doctor's commands at home: opening and closing the eyes, breathing at a different pace.
If parents take the preliminary preparation of the baby for such a procedure responsibly, then everything will go quickly and smoothly.
EEG options
The bioactivity of the brain can be recorded in different ways, so doctors distinguish several options for encephalography:
- The routine way. For 15 minutes, the biopotentials of the brain are fixed, in parallel, provocations are carried out in the form of flashes of bright light or deep breathing.
- The long-term option involves fixing the work of the brain, taking into account daytime sleep.
- Long-term measurements during the whole night's sleep.
- The last option is a sleep deprivation measurement (such an EEG is done very rarely in children, only if necessary).
Which variant of encephalography to choose, the doctor decides in each case.
Start of the procedure
If a neurologist prescribes an EEG of the brain, which this study shows in children, the specialist will explain in detail after receiving the results. The procedure is carried out in a special room into which extraneous sounds do not penetrate. A device is also installed here, which will record the impulses of the brain in the form of a curve.
Before starting the procedure, a cap is put on the baby's head, it looks like a helmet with electrodes, a specialistapplies the required number of sensors that are connected to the encephalograph. The biocurrents that are conducted through the electrodes are completely harmless to the child.
All equipment must be grounded, and before applying the sensors, the doctor wets them with water or saline to prevent the formation of an air cushion between the head and the electrode. Special clip-electrodes are put on the baby's ears, they do not conduct electricity.
What are the features of the EEG procedure
Taking into account the age of the child, the order of encephalography is chosen. If the baby is very small, then he can lie in his mother's arms or on the changing table. The most important thing is that he sleeps. The whole procedure will take no more than 20 minutes, because there is a registration of brain activity during the sleep period.
Older children sit on a couch or in a chair, the head should be straight, it should not be tilted forward so that the readings are distorted. A small patient should behave calmly during the study. EEG for older children is done a little differently. The procedure involves already more complex studies, so it may take much longer.
Stages of encephalography
If we consider the standard EEG procedure, then it consists of the following steps:
- Recording brain activity at rest - obtaining a "background curve".
- Fixation of brain activity during the transition from a state of rest to activity. This is an eye opening and closing test. Childmust follow the doctor's orders.
- Test with hyperventilation. It allows you to identify epilepsy in a latent form, various brain tumors, prolonged stress. At the command of a specialist, the child takes deep breaths and exhales. With a baby, such measurements can be turned into a game by asking him to “blow on hot tea” or “put out a candle.”
- Photostimulation helps to assess the adequacy of the psychomotor and speech development of the baby, it is also possible to diagnose epileptic activity. With the help of a light bulb, periodic flashes of light are made, while the eyes should be closed.
Usually the procedure takes about 30 minutes, if additional examinations are needed, then the time increases.
Evaluation of results
There are EEG norms in children that a neurologist should know, so after the study, parents are given a drawing or curve and a description. The following points should be reflected:
- Rhythm (alpha, beta, theta and delta), its localization and frequency.
- The alleged nature of the pathology.
- Preliminary diagnosis.
With this conclusion and drawing, a little patient with his mother goes to a neurologist, who will give all the explanations.
What the alpha rhythm says
If a specialist notes a violation of the alpha rhythm, this may indicate the presence of a neoplasm in the brain, trauma or hemorrhage. In a child, this may indicate a developmental delay, especially if there is:
- Excessive amplitude and timing.
- Center Offsetsactivity from the parietal and occipital zones.
- Violent activity during deep breathing.
Beta Rhythm
If you make an EEG in a completely he althy child, then this rhythm is recorded only in the frontal lobes. If there is a shift to the central parts of the brain, then this may indicate a delay in mental development.
If a change in frequency or amplitude is diagnosed, then this may indicate a concussion or inflammatory processes in the tissues.
Evaluation of theta and delta rhythm
These two rhythms can be recorded in a he althy baby only during sleep. Their presence in the encephalogram may indicate dementia of the child, a tendency to psychosis or neurosis.
Flashes and sharp waves are most often recorded with epileptiform activity and confirm the diagnosis of "epilepsy". Only an EEG can be used to confirm this diagnosis.
All other indicators, which are reflected in the description of the curve, can be analyzed and commented only by a competent specialist. And only after an accurate diagnosis is made, the necessary treatment can be prescribed.
Where to make an EEG for a child
You can do this procedure in a medical institution that has the appropriate equipment and specialists to carry it out. Despite the fact that the process of examining children and adults is practically the same, the doctor is required to have additional knowledge in the field of pediatric encephalography.
As for the capital of Russia, the EEG of a child in Moscowcan be done at the medical center "Nevro-med". The medical institution has all the necessary equipment, and the most modern, there are specialists in conducting children's EEG. Experienced doctors have enough knowledge to decipher the results, and will quickly find a common language with the baby.
Don't be afraid of modern research, including encephalography. It is better to detect deviations in a timely manner and take appropriate measures than to treat a suspected disease for a long time to no avail.
