Question: EEG on sleep deprived 20 year old results. Hx of intracerebral bleed and bilateral frontal subdural bleed shortly after birth. Patient had burr hole drainage at 3 months of age to drain chronic bilateral subdural effusions. Patient is also right side dominant. Backround was composed of symmetric alpha and beta mixed frequencies. Posterior dominant rhythm was moderate amplitude 8-9Hz and better formed on the left hemisphere compared to the right. Hyperventilation with good effort produced no abnormalitiies. Intermittent photic stimulation at various frequencies produced no definite abmormalities, but there was noted to be better photic driving over the left hemisphere. Drowsiness was indicated by slowing of the backround rhythm and loss of muscle artifact. There is no stage II sleep transients noted. Would this be considered a normal or abnormal EEG. Would this be an example of the "breach rhythm"?

The EEG was performed to rule out seizures for enlistment into US Military. One neonatal seizure at 5 weeks of age. Normal EEG at age one and no antieleptic med since. No signs and symptoms. Burr hole drainage was bilateral. EEG showed no electrographic seizures, and no epileptiform discharges. Could the asymmetry be due to electrode placement or light placement and/or structural dysfunction d/t neonatal issues? Also, what additional testings could be done to verify that it is not a functional dysfunction?

My understanding is that if a person is not maximally alert, no definate determination can be made from asymmetric PDR. This was a sleep deprived EEG with only 2 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period.