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Neurophysiology

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Clinical Neurophysiology is the measurement of small electrical signals from the brain or limbs of a patient.

The measurement of these small electrical signals helps in the diagnosis and management of children with neurological illness.

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Call this line if you have a query about your child’s stay in the hospital such as date of admission.

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EEG (electroencephalography): is a painless test which looks at brain function by recording the electrical activity from the brain. During the test, patients may be asked to look at flashing lights and undertake a deep breathing exercise if required. This type of EEG is performed in an inpatient and outpatient setting.

There are several types of video EEG depending on the nature of events the patient is having;

  • Routine Video EEG performed only when awake. Duration is less than one hour.
  • Sleep Deprived Video EEG depending on the age of the patient they will be required to remain awake for part if not most of the night previous to the EEG being carried out. As a natural sleep is required the test may take up to two hours to complete as an out-patient.
  • Video Telemetry (long term monitoring) the EEG is performed in an inpatient setting over a period of days to quantify and classify patient events.
  • Ambulatory a portable EEG system for patients meeting specific criteria is attached in the hospital. The patient may then travel home overnight returning the next morning to have the system removed and the data analysed
  • Nerve conduction studies (NCS) measure the speed at which impulses travel along a nerve. These tests help us to work out how well your nerves and muscles are functioning.
  • Electromyography (EMG) records the electrical impulses that your muscles produce.
  • Visual evoked potentials (VEP) / electroretinogram (ERG) measures the signals from your visual pathway. Small gold cups called electrodes allow signals to be recorded to see how each eye is working.

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Guidelines on Sleep Depriving Your Child

If your child is under two years of age it is advisable he/she is put to bed a little later than usual and woken earlier on the day of their appointment in order to achieve up to 40 minutes of sleep during the EEG test. If your child takes day time naps, it is advised that their nap is timed for during the EEG test.

Children over two years of age may need to be kept awake longer the night before and woken several hours earlier on the day of the test in order to achieve the same result. They should always be awake a minimum of 6 hours prior to their appointment time.

For older children and adolescents it is advisable to give, at most, four hours of sleep.

If your child is a poor sleeper or very anxious, it may be necessary to reduce sleep further than the above guidelines or keep them up the whole night.

Very Important Note:

Sleep Deprivation can increase the risk of having a seizure.

If your child has been sleep deprived prior to the EEG test it is necessary to closely monitor him/her over the following one to two nights as they are particularly vulnerable and at significantly more risk of potentially stronger and/or more prolonged seizures.

For healthcare professionals

The Neurophysiology department is a tertiary referral centre accepting referrals from hospitals and GP services via a medical consultant only.

The referrals are vetted by the chief Neuro-Physiologist and assigned an appointment based on priority.

  • Referrals should contain a detailed clinical description of events and the patient’s level of cooperation.
  • Referral forms are available from the department directly.

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