Routine Flashcards
6 cards from real EEG practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Routine flashcards as text
What montage is typically used as the initial display for reviewing a routine EEG?
Answer: Bipolar longitudinal (double banana) montage
The bipolar longitudinal (double banana) montage is the standard starting point for EEG review because it provides systematic anterior-to-posterior coverage, clear phase reversals for localization, and intuitive left-right comparison.
A routine EEG report should include all of the following components EXCEPT:
Answer: Specific medication recommendations
EEG reports should include clinical history, technical description, background description, description of abnormalities, impression, and correlation. Specific medication recommendations are treatment decisions made in the clinical context, not part of the EEG report.
The recommended minimum number of EEG channels for a routine clinical recording is:
Answer: 16 channels (plus ECG, EOG)
The ACNS recommends a minimum of 16 EEG channels for routine clinical recording, derived from 21 electrodes in the 10-20 system, plus additional channels for ECG, EOG, and other polygraphic recordings.
When should eye opening and closing commands be given during a routine EEG?
Answer: Multiple times during the awake baseline recording to assess posterior dominant rhythm reactivity
Eye opening/closing should be performed multiple times during the awake baseline to reliably assess the posterior dominant rhythm's frequency, amplitude, symmetry, and reactivity (alpha blocking), which are fundamental findings on the EEG.
An EEG study should be classified as 'abnormal' when it shows:
Answer: Findings that deviate from established age-appropriate normal patterns, such as focal slowing or epileptiform discharges
An EEG is classified as abnormal when it contains findings that deviate from established age-appropriate norms, including focal or generalized slowing, epileptiform discharges, asymmetries, or absent/abnormal normal patterns.
If a routine EEG is being performed to evaluate new-onset seizures, which additional procedure should the technologist prioritize?
Answer: Extended recording time to maximize the chance of capturing interictal discharges and achieving drowsiness/sleep
For seizure evaluation, extending the recording time (beyond the standard 20-30 minutes if needed) increases the probability of capturing interictal epileptiform discharges, particularly during drowsiness and sleep when they are most likely to appear.