Essay on The Eeg – an Important Device?

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The EEG – an important device?

ABSTRACT
An EEG is a medical device used in order to analyze the components of the brain and “detect problems in the electrical activity of the brain” (MedlinePlus source; EEG). It is also known as an electroencephalogram. The first human EEG recording was recorded by Hans Berger in 1924 after about thirty years of being used by scientists on animals. The immediate objective was to find out how an EEG worked and it's primary functions so that it will be more familiar to those around us who want to understand it better and/or need to have this procedure.

The EEG works by placing electrodes on the scalp/head of the patient and allowing the electrical waves from the brain to “come through” and be recorded digitally onto a specially designed computer. The components which make up an EEG are very specific to which type of EEG you are researching. Each component is critical to the function and use of the electroencephalograph. It is demonstrated to the public that an EEG procedure is not painful or harmful to the patient. This is true, the EEG does not harm the patient in anyway. It is a very safe and reliable procedure. As well the procedure only takes, on average, 20 to 30 minutes. The EEG is a very important medical device and it is critical to the well-being and health of people today. Without the EEG many diseases and medical conditions may not be found and it could be crucial to our society’s health.

INTRODUCTION

Is an EEG an important device in the medical world? This is a very common question in today's society. A young girl while watching television becomes unresponsive and starts experiencing convulsions. Her parents are very worried that it may be a seizure and rush her to the emergency room. The doctor informs them that the young girl needs to undergo an electroencephalogram in order to detect what is wrong. The parents have numerous questions for the doctor concerning this procedure. What is it used to detect? Is it safe? Will it hurt her? What does the procedure involve? People today have so many questions about an EEG test; thus, it is immensely important for society today to understand how an EEG works and how this machine is helpful to patients and doctors in the medical industry.

Hence, the question, “Is an EEG an important device in the medical world?” The answer is “Yes.” An EEG is a medical device used to analyze the brain in order to detect problems with/in the brain's electrical activity. Problems such as Epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease are detected by the electroencephalogram. The brain's neurological impulses are converted into patterns which are then recorded on a machine for further examination. Metal disks also known as electrodes are placed onto the patients scalp in order to receive the electrical activity clearly. As well, there could be an electrode cap or net used in place of singular electrodes. Without the aid of an EEG, many diseases/malfunctions in the brain's electrical activity may not be diagnosed and could lead to serious illness or even death.
The EEG has evolved immensely throughout its history. It ranges from when it was developed and what it was used for, to how it is made and how it works!

HISTORY

In 1875 the first findings of electrical activity in the brain were recorded by Richard Caton, a British physician. He discovered this electrical phenomena in the cerebral hemispheres of the brains of monkeys and rabbits. Caton's findings presented a whole new world of research for other scientists and physicians to discover. The years after the first findings were recorded the EEG was invented by a Russian physiologist, by the name of Vladimir Vladmirovich Pravdich-Neminsky. It was an EEG used on animals, such as a dog. He invented this in 1912 and by 1914 seizures were induced on dogs in order to record the brain potential and photograph the dogs EEG-recordings. These experimentally induced seizures were performed by Napoleon
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