Daily News Analysis ‘Electroencephalography’: 16 July

About EEG ( Electroencephalography):

• • It is a medical test that records electrical activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp.
  • It diagnoses neurological conditions like epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain injuries by visualizing brain electrical activity by detecting the movement of ions in neurons.
  • 1924: Hans Berger produced the first human EEG.
  • Application: Widely applicable to common diagnostic tests for epilepsy, anesthesia effects, sleep patterns, neurological activity during a coma, and brain death.
  • Technology Involved: Used in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, neurolinguistics, neuromarketing, and brain-computer interfaces.
  • Mechanism of EEG: Neurons create electrical waves by pushing ions.
    • Electrodes on the scalp track voltage changes as these waves pass, generating an electroencephalogram.

• Affordability of EEG:

• • Cost-effective, simple, non-invasive, and portable.
  • Does not require high-energy radiation or confine patients.
  • Requires precise electrode placement, readings can be affected by thicker hair.

Why in News?

The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the first human EEG, produced by German physiologist Hans Berger.