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RPSGT Sleep study on EEG

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RPSGT Sleep study on EEG

slee
Technologist

RPSGT Sleep study EEG on 88M, mild dementia, tremors, CAD. Seemed quite alert and appropriate but the EEG was not very normal. Uppermost of 3 strips (of about 18 seconds each) on photo shows awake with eyes open (without the video I would be lost!) middle strip- just a few seconds after closing eyes (AASM rules would score it N3 sleep!); and lower strip is definite N2 sleep. No alpha waves in entire study. Scoring off red line (C3-M2) using almost guesswork sometimes. Eyes are the 2 blue lines above the red line. Second photo shows normal EEG of somebody else in same format to compare.

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Nurs
registeredNurse
What would this indicate?
10-2
technologist
A picture showing the channels would help. Dementia seems like it might be worse than mild based upon this trace.
slee
technologistStudent
I don't know what brainwaves like these may indicate. I see lots of theta now and then in some awake older people; tending to have multiple medical issues and take numerous medications, making the record hard to score. Maybe a neurologist can chime in. A person with brain waves like this can seem quite normal. Channels from top down: eyes, C3/M2, O2/M1, F3/M2.
slee
technologistStudent
After some online research it looks like EEG slowing, with more theta and delta, and a lack of abrupt EEG changes overall in dementia patients had been appreciated for a couple decades now. Using EEG as a test to detect early signs of dementia is not considered a way of approaching this diagnosis, from what I have read. Maybe a it's a missed opportunity with in-lab sleep studies.

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