CHILDREN

• Frequently Asked Questions for Children

  CHILDREN

  frequently asked questions for children

  Does an EEG hurt? What should I tell my child?
  There is no discomfort or pain with an EEG. When the technician comes to your house to start the test, the placement of the sensors can feel strange, but the test itself is painless. The sensors just record brain activity, and produce no sensation. Sometimes, a patient experiences temporary skin irritation, but that is rare and easily treated. During a prolonged period of wearing sensors, patients may experience mild discomfort, itching or headaches. This is normal and is not anything to be concerned about.

  What is a Video Ambulatory EEG?
  It is considered the Gold Standard for EEG testing—the best test you can take. A Video Ambulatory EEG shows the doctor any kind of events happening over the testing period (usually 24-72 hours) while your child is doing what he or she normally does. This test also gives your child’s neurologist a better understanding of what might happen while he or she sleeps.

  Video tells your doctor a more complete story about any seizures, headaches or episodes your child may be having, because it records their behavior at the same time it is measuring brainwave activity.

  A technician will come to your home for about two hours to set your child up for their EEG. The technician will use a special adhesive to attach the sensors to their scalp, and set up two video cameras—one in the bedroom, and one in the main activity/living area. The technician will also wrap your child’s head in gauze to help the sensors stay in place so you don’t have to do a second study. Your child can watch TV, play games, nap and read. Once setup is complete, your child will not be allowed to bathe for the duration of the test. Special instructions about bathing the night before are next.

  How do I prepare my child for their EEG test?
  • Wash their hair the night before
  • Do not use any oils, gels, mousse, sprays or conditioner on their hair for 24 hours before the test
  • Do not let them have caffeine for 8 hours before the test
  • Don’t let your child wear anything that goes over their head; dress them in a front-button or zip-front shirt so they can easily undress for bed
  • Sometimes, your doctor will need to evaluate your child’s sleep, so you may be asked to shorten the amount of sleep your child gets the night before the test
  • The technician will give you an event button to push any time your child has any kind of event, headache or confusion episode, as well as a diary to fill out with the activities he or she does, like eating, taking medications, sleeping or napping. The more accurate the diary you keep, the more complete the test results will be.
  • We give you a special solvent so you can remove the sensors from your child’s hair after the test is complete

  How is Video EEG for a child different from an Adult Video EEG?
  He or she will wear sensors painlessly attached to their scalp using a mild adhesive. The technician will wrap their head in gauze to secure the sensors in place for the duration of the exam.

  Is there anything my child is NOT allowed to do during the testing?
  Your child can maintain their usual level of activity, though avoid lots of caffeine for them, as well as any activity that will raise their heart rate, get their head wet, or make them sweat—but you can clean their skin with damp cloths.

  No toys or electronics should interfere with the signal transmitted from the sensors to the recording device.

• Frequently Asked Questions for Physicians

  frequently asked questions for physicians

  What types of EEGs does Neuro Dynamics perform? Are all Neuro Dynamics EEGs done in-home?
  We do all types of video EEGs in the home: routine, sleep-deprived, short- and long-term EEGs ranging from one day to many weeks, depending on what is indicated by the particular patient’s needs. We perform EEGs at many different locations—at hospitals, schools, nursing homes, clinics and assisted living facilities—we go where you need us.

  For what ages does Neuro Dynamics provide EEG services?
  We provide video EEG testing services for everyone from newborns to elderly patients, including patients with mental and physical disabilities and other special needs.

  How quickly can I get my patient scheduled for an EEG?
  For urgent situations, we can usually schedule an EEG that day. The earlier in the day you let us know you need our services, the faster we can get the patient preauthorized and scheduled.

  How quickly is my patient’s EEG information turned around?
  We pride ourselves on providing access to the EEG data collected faster than the industry standard—in just four to eight days.

  How will I know when my patient’s information is ready to be viewed?
  When you refer your patient to Neuro Dynamics, we obtain your best contact information so we can call, text, email, or page you the moment the data is ready for viewing. With our Express Service, results are available 4 – 8 days after the test is complete.

  Who can interpret the data from the EEG?
  Any board-certified neurologist can review the data gathered during the EEG process. Some physicians who refer to Neuro Dynamics prefer to interpret their own studies; some hire interpreting neurologists, who then bill for their own services.

  How do I retrieve the data to review?
  Most physicians use our secure online website to view the data collected, and it can be viewed through any secure internet connection—in your office, at your home, at the hospital. Or, if you prefer, we can mail you a flash drive or DVD/CD with the data copied onto it for your viewing on any computer.

  Who does the billing for this EEG test?
  The referring and/or interpreting physician bills for his/her services; Neuro Dynamics bills the insurance company for the technical component of the testing.

  Who does the preauthorization, scheduling and billing for the EEG testing?
  Neuro Dynamics does all the preauthorization and scheduling for testing, and works with the patient to accommodate their needs as much as we can in order to inconvenience them the least during a prolonged testing period (usually 24-72 hours). The patient usually knows if their insurance covers EEG testing; in most cases, insurance does cover EEG testing. We bill the insurance company for the technical component of the test, and the patient is responsible for any costs not covered by insurance (co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles)

  When does Neuro Dynamics offer testing?
  Neuro Dynamics performs Video EEG weekdays, weeknights, and weekends—days and overnights.

  How can I dictate the EEG?
  A neurologist can dictate the EEG immediately through our secure website, which provides an instant report/transcription that can be emailed, printed or saved for future use. If he/she prefers, the neurologist can use their own transcription/dictation service.

  Can I re-montage the EEG while I’m reviewing it?
  Yes. You can change filters and settings on the EEG you’re reviewing, and can even create your own default settings for filters and montages for subsequent EEG reviews.

  What about long-term EEGs? How does Neuro Dynamics scan and prune those?
  Neuro Dynamics’ Registered EEG Technologists scan the entire recording, and run it through a spike- and seizure-detection process. The neurologist will receive the entire EEG, as well as individual files of normal and abnormal activity, for review.

  What if something happens to the equipment or video feed during the EEG?
  Neuro Dynamics provides remote monitoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week; Registered EEG Technologists monitor every study for quality control throughout the entire EEG video recording, so they know instantly if sensors come loose or the video quality is compromised. We do our very best to rectify any issues that occur as soon as possible. We use phones and email to try to contact the patient directly; we can also dispatch an EEG technologist to the patient’s home, night or day, to fix the problem.