What is an EEG?

Picture of EEG used while doing neurofeedback

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Everybody has heard the term EEG before but few actually knows what it means and what it is used for. EEG stands for electroencephalography.  In simple terms it reads and records the electrical activity of your brain.

During neurofeedback (biofeedback) the practitioner will apply electrodes on specific parts of the scalp to target brain activity that controls certain behaviors or functions. Many EEGs used for testing potential problems require the use of dozens of electrodes to cover the scalp. However, while doing neurofeedback or biofeedback only a three to five electrodes are used. The electrodes will send the information it collects from your brain to the computer. Next, the computer receives the information and processes it onto the screen in the form of wavy lines. Some people get nervous prior to getting an EEG because of all the wires and equipment. This is not necessary; it's a simple, pain free process.  

An EEG may also be used to:

Diagnose epilepsy and various types of seizures.
Check for problems with dementia and confusion.
Find out if a person is dead or in a coma.
Study sleep disorders.

Check out www.intralifeperformance.com to watch a video of somebody being connected to an EEG.


Information used from webmd.com and wikipedia.org. Picture provided by EEGinfo.com. Thank you!