Electroencephalography (EEG)

An EEG records the electrical activity of your brain through small sensors placed on the scalp. The brain produces weak electrical signals all the time. The machine boosts them and draws them as waves. From their speed, shape and rhythm, the doctor sees how your brain works awake and asleep, and whether any area is overexcitable. It does not hurt. There is no radiation. Even newborns can have it. At Oberig Clinic we record EEG to the 2017 guidelines of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, with 29 electrodes.

What an EEG shows

The recording shows the main brain rhythm and whether it matches on the left and right. It shows how the brain reacts when you open your eyes, look at flashing light or breathe deeply. At rest with eyes closed, a healthy adult brain shows mostly alpha rhythm, 8 to 13 waves per second. In sleep, typical spindles and slow waves appear. The doctor looks for changes: a slower rhythm in one area, a left-right difference, bursts of sharp waves and spikes.

Know the limits. An EEG shows how the brain works, not how it is built. A tumor, stroke damage or a birth defect shows up better on MRI. But only an EEG can tell whether there is epileptic activity in the brain and where it starts. That is why, after a seizure, doctors usually order both tests. One without the other often gives only half the answer, and a second visit costs you time.

When doctors order it

A neurologist usually orders an EEG after seizures, staring spells or blackouts, fainting with no clear cause, attacks during sleep or sudden jerks of the arms or legs. In children, common reasons are seizures with fever, delayed speech or motor development, night terrors, sleepwalking, tics and bedwetting, when the doctor wants to rule out epilepsy.

Adults also need it after a head injury or stroke, with brain infections and sleep problems. It helps before starting or stopping seizure medicine and to track treatment. Intensive care and stroke unit patients get EEG too, to check brain function. The price list has a separate item for them.

Parents often ask whether one febrile seizure means epilepsy. Usually it does not. Many children have a single seizure with a high temperature and never another one. Still, if a seizure was long, happened on one side of the body or repeated within a day, the neurologist will want an EEG and will explain what to watch for at home.

EEG changes in epilepsy

The key finding in epilepsy is epileptiform activity: sharp waves, spikes, spike-and-wave complexes. They can be focal, in one area of the brain, or generalized, in both halves at once. This decides the type of epilepsy and the choice of medicine. "Paroxysmal activity" is a wider term. It means any sudden burst that differs sharply from the background. Some of these bursts are epileptic. Others show up in healthy people, especially children and teenagers. Only a doctor who sees both the recording and your symptoms can say which is which.

A routine recording between seizures can be normal even in epilepsy. If doubt remains, the doctor orders a sleep EEG. Lack of sleep and falling asleep bring out hidden activity. The chance of catching it goes up a lot.

Types of EEG at the clinic

The doctor picks the type based on age and the question:

Type	Length	When we use it
Routine, awake	up to 60 minutes	first test, treatment follow-up
Daytime sleep	up to 90 minutes	normal routine test but epilepsy still suspected, seizures in sleep
Babies and toddlers	depends on how the child falls asleep	seizures, delayed development, usually recorded in sleep
Intensive care and stroke unit	depends on the patient	brain function in serious illness

A routine test records you at rest with eyes closed and open, plus two standard tasks: flashing light (photic stimulation) and deep fast breathing (hyperventilation). These tasks can bring out hidden activity. Without them the test is incomplete. A sleep EEG also records the light stages of sleep.

EEG for children

Children can have an EEG from the first months of life. For babies, natural sleep works best. Your baby arrives hungry, feeds right in the room and falls asleep. Older kids hear that they will wear "a cap with wires" that does not hurt or shock. A parent stays close the whole time. Bring a favorite book or toy so your child feels calm.

The price depends on age (see the table below). If a child gets restless, the doctor adapts. They take breaks, repeat parts of the recording or record some of it during sleep. A parent is always in the room.

Reading a child's EEG

A child's brain is still maturing, and normal looks different at each age. A toddler's rhythm is slower than a schoolchild's. Some waves that would be abnormal in an adult are normal in a child. That is why children's recordings need a doctor with real experience in pediatric neurophysiology. At our clinic that is pediatric neurologist Anatolii Omelianenko, PhD, associate professor. He runs yearly courses in clinical EEG for other doctors.

How to prepare

For a routine EEG, prep is simple:

• wash your hair the day before without conditioner or oils. On the day, skip gels, hairspray and other styling products. Undo braids,
• come after a meal. Hunger changes the recording,
• do not stop your usual medicines, including seizure medicine, unless your doctor says so,
• bring past EEG recordings, MRI reports and a list of your medicines with doses,
• for a sleep EEG, adults should sleep half their usual time the night before and get up early. Stay awake at least 8 hours before the test. Children need at least 3 hours awake.

Before a sleep EEG, cut a baby's last nap by about half and skip a feed, so you can feed them at the clinic. Feel free to bring your own pillow, pajamas or a favorite toy. Lack of sleep raises the chance of a seizure. Do not drive on the day of the test.

What happens during the test

You wear a stretchy cap with sensors, or the sensors go on one by one. Each gets a dab of gel. You sit in a chair or lie down with your eyes closed. The nurse asks you to open and close your eyes, breathe deeply for a few minutes, then look at a flashing light. A video camera records the whole time. The doctor can match any movement or episode to the waves.

It does not hurt, and no current goes into your head. The machine only listens. The gel washes out with water, so plan to rinse your hair at home afterwards. A routine EEG takes up to an hour, a sleep EEG up to an hour and a half.

You can help the recording. Chewing, blinking, tense neck muscles and talking all create noise that can look like abnormal waves. So the nurse will ask you to relax, unclench your jaw and stay still. An experienced doctor tells these artifacts from real brain activity, and the video helps check every doubtful moment.

Normal results and the report

The report describes the main rhythm, its speed and symmetry, the response to the tasks, and whether there is epileptiform activity or focal change. "Normal for age" or "no epileptiform activity recorded" means no significant findings. Phrases like "diffuse changes" or "midline structure dysfunction" are not a diagnosis on their own. They often show up in healthy people.

You cannot read an EEG from online charts. It matters how you felt, what medicines you took and what symptoms you had. Bring the report to a neurologist, or to a pediatric neurologist for your child. If epilepsy is confirmed, the doctor will plan treatment and follow-up.

Common questions

Does it hurt? Is it harmful?

No. The sensors only record. They send nothing into your body. You can repeat an EEG as often as needed.

Can I have a seizure during the test?

Sometimes light, deep breathing or lack of sleep triggers one. It is not harmful, and for diagnosis it is useful. The staff know what to do, and emergency care is on site.

Should I stop my medicines?

No. Never stop seizure medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Just write down what you take and the dose.

Do I need a referral?

A referral from a neurologist helps. It states the goal, and the goal decides the type of recording. No referral? Our contact center will help you choose.

Can I come with hair extensions or braids?

Braids should be undone. Extensions can stay if the sensors reach the scalp. Tell us when you book, and we will advise.

When will I get the report?

It depends on the type and length of the recording. We will give you the exact time when you book.

How often can I have an EEG?

As often as your doctor needs. In epilepsy, the test is usually repeated when treatment changes or before it stops.

EEG prices

An adult EEG costs UAH 2,990. For children, prices start at UAH 2,065 and depend on age. A daytime sleep EEG costs UAH 4,395. It takes longer and needs separate prep. When you compare clinics, price is not the only thing that matters. Who reads the recording matters just as much. Current prices:

Test (EEG)	Price
Adults	UAH 2,990
Adults in intensive care and the stroke unit	UAH 2,785
Babies and children under 2	UAH 2,195
Children aged 2 to 4	UAH 2,065
Children aged 4 and over	UAH 2,265
Daytime sleep recording	UAH 4,395

Prices are from the clinic price list as of 01.10.2026 and may change. Please check the current price with our contact center before your visit.

Why choose Oberig Clinic for EEG

• A modern recording standard. We follow the 2017 guidelines of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology and use 29 electrodes, including the lower temporal row.
• Pediatric expertise. Pediatric neurologist Anatolii Omelianenko, PhD, associate professor, has over 100 scientific papers, co-wrote the national protocol on epilepsy in children and teaches clinical EEG to doctors.
• Sleep EEG with video. For complex cases there is a daytime sleep EEG of up to 90 minutes with video monitoring.
• Everything in one clinic. Neurologists for adults and children, a 3 Tesla MRI, a stroke unit and emergency care on 3003.

Address: 3 Zoolohichna St, buildings "G" and "V", Kyiv. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.