title: Long-term electroencephalographic monitoring for diagnosis and management of seizures.
abstract: Long-term electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring is the process of recording an EEG for a prolonged period in order to document epileptic seizures or other episodic disturbances of neurologic function. Indications for long-term EEG monitoring include diagnosis of a seizure disorder (epilepsy), classification of seizure types in patients with epilepsy, and localization of the epileptogenic region of the brain. Methods used for long-term EEG monitoring include prolonged analog or digital EEG, prolonged analog or digital ambulatory EEG, and prolonged analog or digital video-EEG monitoring with telemetry. Each of these methods has distinct advantages and disadvantages, particularly relative to storage, retrieval, and manipulation of data. Long-term EEG monitoring is useful in the management of patients with epilepsy and in the diagnosis of a seizure disorder. For most patients, inpatient long-term EEG monitoring is best performed in a specialized epilepsy-monitoring unit, which can provide a safe environment and both educational and psychosocial support. The choice of the most appropriate method of long-term monitoring for a specific clinical situation is best made by an epileptologist or a neurologist at an epilepsy center.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Division of Epilepsy, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Lagerlund
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Cascino
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cicora
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Sharbrough
mesh_terms: D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D013686:Telemetry