An electroencephalogram (EEG) measures and records the electrical activity of your brain. Special sensors (electrodes) are attached to your head and hooked by wires to a computer. The computer records your brain’s electrical activity on the screen or on paper as wavy lines. Certain conditions, such as seizures, can be seen by the changes in the normal pattern of the brain’s electrical activity.
An EEG may be used to diagnose epilepsy, determine seizure type or check for problems with loss of consciousness or dementia. It can also be used to diagnose physical problems in the brain, spinal cord and nervous system, or a mental health problem.