QEEG is a diagnostic tool that measures electrical activity in the form of brain wave patterns that tell us how your brain is communicating.
A qEEG (Quantitative Electroencephalogram) is a diagnostic tool that measures electrical activity in the form of brain wave patterns. It is sometimes referred to as “brain mapping.”
Brain waves are the rhythmic electrical impulses generated when the millions and millions of neurons inside your head communicate with each other. Brain waves can reveal important information about your overall brain function, including stress levels, thought patterns, and emotions. A qEEG can reveal brain wave patterns that are associated with impulsivity, cognitive inflexibility, anxiety, and other symptoms.
Over the last 30 years, Amen Clinics has built the world’s largest database of functional brain scans (SPECT and qEEG) related to behavior. We have performed more than 200,000 brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) scans, which measure blood flow and activity patterns, and over 10,000 quantitative electroencephalograms (qEEGs), which measure electrical activity, on patients from 9 months old to 105 years old from 155 countries. These functional brain assessments have completely disrupted how we help our patients get well. With the information from qEEG, we are better able to create a personalized treatment plan for your needs.
A qEEG is a very valuable component of the comprehensive evaluation at Amen Clinics. It helps understand the cortical electrical activity in the brain. It can show if activity in the brain is too high or too low, and it can reveal how your brain cells are communicating with each other. It can be helpful in many ways, including:
In conjunction with brain SPECT imaging, qEEG gives us additional information about how your brain functions and can be used for baseline information as well as to track progress with treatment. We can use the information from qEEG as a guide to determine the most effective solutions to help you change your brain and improve your memory, boost focus and attention, reduce depression, minimize anxiety, and enhance overall performance.
A qEEG can be performed on people of all ages—adults, adolescents, children, and even babies. People struggling with mental health symptoms may benefit from an evaluation that includes qEEG testing. At Amen Clinics, we have performed over 10,000 qEEGs to help identify brain wave patterns associated with a variety of conditions, including:
Note: At Amen Clinics, we also use qEEG for patients who are pregnant or who are concerned about radiation exposure for any other reason.
There are literally thousands of research studies on qEEG for a wide variety of clinical indications, including memory problems, anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), ADD/ADHD, and processing issues in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For example:
Dr. Joel Lubar at the University of Tennessee has conducted a lot of research on brain wave underactivity in children with ADD/ADHD. In published research using qEEG, Dr. Lubar demonstrated that children with ADD/ADHD had excessive slow brain wave activity in the front part of their brain, which worsened when they tried to concentrate.
Dr. Lubar also demonstrated that many children can develop more normal brain wave patterns—and therefore improved focus and behavior—through brain wave biofeedback called neurofeedback. This therapy has been found to enhance memory, focus, and mental clarity; decrease impulsivity and anxiety; improve moods; boost academic performance, and lead to more restful sleep.
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Contact UsIn the following examples, no color represents normal limits. The deeper the color, the higher the activity in each band.
QEEG is noninvasive, painless, and safe to use. The electrodes in the cap that are placed on the scalp are like a “read-only” program that receives signals from the brain. The electrodes do not alter brain activity in any way; they simply reveal areas where brain wave activity is healthy, underactive, or overactive.
Your brain is the world’s most powerful electromagnetic engine. It uses electricity and neurotransmitters to help you think, feel, and act. Electricity (the flow of charged ions) is constantly moving throughout your body, but nowhere is electricity better documented than in the roughly 100 billion biological wires (neurons) in your brain. Neurons communicate with each other through electrical signals, and when millions of neurons are “talking” to each other, it creates synchronized electrical pulses, or brain waves. There are 5 types of brain wave patterns:
Very slow brain waves, occurring mostly during sleep
Slow brain waves, occurring during daydreaming, relaxation, and twilight states
Brain waves occurring during relaxed states
Fast brain waves occurring during concentration or mental work states
At Amen Clinics, we use state-of-the-art qEEG equipment, computers, and software. Having a qEEG is a simple, painless process that takes a total of about 30 minutes. In a room at one of our clinics, you’ll sit quietly while a cap is gently placed on your head. The cap looks similar to a bathing cap, except that it has electrodes attached that pick up the brain’s electrical activity. The electrodes on your scalp are connected to a device that captures the signals from the brain. That device is then wired to a computer that will read and interpret the signals the electrodes are receiving from the brain. It is a two part process.
Based on these two recordings of neural electrical activity, the computer monitor will show colored patterns—or maps—of your brain. With this information, we are able to evaluate your brain wave patterns and detect any imbalances that may be contributing to your symptoms. This can help us create a personalized protocol to help balance your brain and minimize your symptoms.