Epilepsy Health Center
Table of Contents
Doctors take a medical history, do blood tests, and use a variety of other medical tests to determine whether a person has epilepsy.
A test commonly used to diagnose epilepsy is called an electroencephalogram, or EEG. This test records brain waves. In most cases of epilepsy a doctor can determine if the brain has abnormal electrical activity associated with a seizure by reading the EEG.
During an EEG, electrodes are placed on the scalp and brain waves are measured. The test is painless. The doctor may also want to do an EEG while the patient is sleeping.
A doctor may use a magneto-encephalogram, or MEG. The purpose of this test is similar to an EEG, except that it measures magnetic signals in the brain instead of electrical signals. Because of this difference, it does not require electrodes and can detect signals from deeper areas of the brain than the EEG can.
The doctor may also request a brain scan in order to see structures inside the brain. Examples of brain scans are MRI, CT, and PET scans. These allow the doctor to see structures, such as tumors or cysts, which could be causing the seizures.