This is a specialized unit in the hospital where a patient is admitted for 3-5 days for continuous monitoring of brain activity using EEG and Video. This gives your doctor a better understanding of your seizures by seeing how your brain functioning and what you are physically doing during the event.

Video EEG is nothing but simultaneous recording of EEG along with video camera focused on you all the time. You will be admitted and EEG leads will be attached to you. You will be under camera for 24 hours while your EEG on. When you will have seizure, it will record the exact movements you do during your seizure activity and simultaneous EEG recordings. This will give us the exact idea of the area of your brain responsible for producing these seizures. Generally, we record 3-10 episodes of seizure and hence patients generally stay for 5-7 days in hospital. We generally stop your drugs so that more seizures can be obtained in short time. It is safe as you are having seizures in controlled environment of hospital, equipped with doctors and nurses all the time.

To prepare for an EMU Admission:

• Wash your hair the night before or the day of the test, but don't use any conditioners, hair creams, sprays or styling gels. Hair products can make it harder for the sticky patches that hold the electrodes to adhere to your scalp. If you have weaves or braids, they may need to be removed before a test can be completed.
• Wear loose fitting clothes
• Follow your physician’s instructions regarding your medication.
• Arrive at your scheduled time, delays can occur if you are late
• You may bring electronics (laptop etc...) to use during your stay.
• Visitors are allowed during your EMU admission and a family member or loved one who is familiar with the seizure is encouraged to stay with the patient.

Here is what you can expect during an EMU Admission:

• In order to help you have a seizure or event your medications are typically reduced prior to or the same day of your admission (Follow Doctors Instructions).
• A technician measures your head and marks your scalp with a special pencil, to indicate where to attach the electrodes. Those spots on your scalp may be scrubbed with a gritty cream to improve the quality of the recording.
• A technician attaches flat metal discs (electrodes) to your scalp using a special adhesive. Sometimes, an elastic cap fitted with electrodes is used instead. The electrodes are connected with wires to an instrument that amplifies — makes bigger — the brain waves and records them on computer equipment.
• Once the electrodes are in place, your head will be wrapped with gauze to help keep the electrodes in place during your EMU Admission.
• The recorder device is attached to a strap that will go around your neck and the wires can be worn inside or outside of your clothing. The video will record 24 hours a day. The video will not follow you into the bathroom.
• If you move to sit in a different part of the room, the camera will be adjusted. Please let a nurse or the technologist know when you need to use the rest room. A family member or nurse can assist you to the bathroom.
• Our EEG Technologists check the electrodes daily to reapply or fix them as necessary. You will not be able to wash your hair or shower during your EMU admission.
• At your bedside you have a nurse alarm and an event button connected to the EEG Equipment. If you feel like you are going to have a seizure, "Push the Event Button". If your event happens suddenly, a family member can press the button for you. The technologist will go over these steps with you when you arrive.
• During an event, a technologist will come to your room immediately to keep you safe, observe the event and alert the nursing staff. The nursing staff will come into the room and perform their assessments (blood pressure, oxygen level, etc..)
• Sleep deprivation (staying awake for 24 hours), hyperventilation (breathing exercise), photic stimulation (strobe lights) may be used to help induce an event. Whenever your brain is tired, it is more likely to have an event.
• During your hospital stay an EMU physician who is specially trained in EEG/Epilepsy will be responsible for your care and will be reviewing your video-EEG recording daily. Typically, the physician would like to record several of your seizures to properly diagnose type and location of seizures. The EMU physician will let you know how many seizures are needed.