Increasing the Diagnostic Yield of Routine EEG

Extending routine electroencephalography recording duration to 60 minutes significantly increases the capture of both interictal epileptiform discharges and seizures or other events of interest.

The optimal duration of routine diagnostic electroencephalography (EEG) studies — diagnostic yield versus lab efficiency — has hardly been studied. The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and International League Against Epilepsy recommend that EEGs last at least 20 to 30 minutes. However, many routine EEG studies are diagnostically negative. Repeated studies and sleep deprivation increase diagnostic sensitivity, but this adds costs and additional patient burden. Taking advantage of the Mayo Clinic's routine practice of performing 60-minute EEGs, researchers investigated whether additional diagnostic findings were captured beyond what was seen in the initial 30 minutes. They prospectively assessed 1803 outpatient-EEG studies of both c…

Reviewing Author

Robert C. Knowlton, MD, MSPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMore Health, Inc.; The Alliance of Medical Companies

Grant/Research SupportNIH Small Business Innovation Research

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSouthern Epilepsy & EEG Society (Treasurer)

Robert C. Knowlton, MD, MSPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMore Health, Inc.; The Alliance of Medical Companies

Grant/Research SupportNIH Small Business Innovation Research

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesSouthern Epilepsy & EEG Society (Treasurer)

Increasing the Diagnostic Yield of Routine EEG

Topics

Reviewing Author