R.EEG.T Study Set
What waves do you expect to see during stage 1 (light) sleep? - answer Remaining
alpha and start of theta
What waves do you expect to see during stage 2 (deeper) sleep? - answer Mostly theta
with sleep spindles and k complexes
What waves do you expect to see during stage 3 (deep) sleep? - answer Delta waves
Theta waves (4-7 Hz) - answer Drowsy or sleeping adults; normal in children
Alpha waves (8-13 Hz) - answer the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake
state
delta waves (0-4Hz) - answer long, slow waves that indicate the deepest stage of sleep
Beta waves (14-30 Hz) - answer rhythmic, less regular waves occurring when mentally
alert
sleep spindles - answershort bursts of brain waves detected in stage 2 sleep
K-complexes - answerduring sleep, periods of greater wave amplitude (can be response
to sound); during Stage 2 sleep. 12 to 14 Hz waves having frequencies of 11 to 16 Hz
vertex waves - answerDiphasic waveforms appearing in the frontocentral head regions
during the lighter stages of sleep.
What waves do you expect to see during photic stimulation? - answera normal EEG
would show a "photic driving" response, where the background brainwave rhythm,
typically alpha waves; predominantly in occipital region
What waves do you expect to see during hyperventilation? - answerbilateral generalized
synchronous slowing that tends to be more prominent with vigorous effort
Occipital predominance - answerphotic driving response is usually most prominent over
the occipital region of the brain, as this area is responsible for visual processing
Monophasic waveform - answerbegins on one side of the baseline and has only two
parts, an up slope and a down slope, and crosses the baseline only once; abnormal
, biphasic waveform - answerstarts on one side of the baseline with an up slope and
downslope going through the baseline, but then has a second part that crosses the
baseline again
Example of biphasic waveform - answerclassic epileptiform spike and slow wave
discharge
Polyphasic waves - answercross the baseline multiple times
monomorphic waves - answerappear the same in frequency and amplitude
Example of monomorphic waves - answermay be found in seizures, in which repetitive
spike and wave activity often looks very similar in portions of the seizure
Monomorphic patterns may also be called... - answerrhythmic patterns
polymorphic waves - answervary in frequency and amplitude
What is an example of polymorphic slowing? - answerslow wave sleep, in which high
amplitude polymorphic delta activity predominates the recording; can be abnormal
Amplitude (aka voltage) - answermeasured in microvolts, and describes the height of a
waveform
What is the typical amplitude of a normal adult brain? - answer10-100 microvolts
Morphology - answerdescribes the shape of a waveform or set of waves
depolarization - answeropening of the Na/K channels leading to a rush of Na+ into the
cell, with subsequent loss of the basal resting potential (so the usual -70mV may go, for
example, to +20mV). Pertinent for EEG is that this depolarization also leads to a
relatively negative voltage outside the cell.
hyperpolarization - answerwhen there is exaggerated movement of K+ out of the cell to
cause the resting intracellular voltage to become more negative, say from -70mV to -
100mV. Pertinent for EEG in this case is that hyper polarization leads to a relatively
positive voltage outside the cell.
Example of an excitatory neurotransmitter - answerglutamate
What does glutamate do? - answerbind to postsynaptic receptors and cause an
excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) to promote subsequent depolarization and
propagation of a signal through a network of neurons
Example of inhibitory neurotransmitters - answerGABA
What waves do you expect to see during stage 1 (light) sleep? - answer Remaining
alpha and start of theta
What waves do you expect to see during stage 2 (deeper) sleep? - answer Mostly theta
with sleep spindles and k complexes
What waves do you expect to see during stage 3 (deep) sleep? - answer Delta waves
Theta waves (4-7 Hz) - answer Drowsy or sleeping adults; normal in children
Alpha waves (8-13 Hz) - answer the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake
state
delta waves (0-4Hz) - answer long, slow waves that indicate the deepest stage of sleep
Beta waves (14-30 Hz) - answer rhythmic, less regular waves occurring when mentally
alert
sleep spindles - answershort bursts of brain waves detected in stage 2 sleep
K-complexes - answerduring sleep, periods of greater wave amplitude (can be response
to sound); during Stage 2 sleep. 12 to 14 Hz waves having frequencies of 11 to 16 Hz
vertex waves - answerDiphasic waveforms appearing in the frontocentral head regions
during the lighter stages of sleep.
What waves do you expect to see during photic stimulation? - answera normal EEG
would show a "photic driving" response, where the background brainwave rhythm,
typically alpha waves; predominantly in occipital region
What waves do you expect to see during hyperventilation? - answerbilateral generalized
synchronous slowing that tends to be more prominent with vigorous effort
Occipital predominance - answerphotic driving response is usually most prominent over
the occipital region of the brain, as this area is responsible for visual processing
Monophasic waveform - answerbegins on one side of the baseline and has only two
parts, an up slope and a down slope, and crosses the baseline only once; abnormal
, biphasic waveform - answerstarts on one side of the baseline with an up slope and
downslope going through the baseline, but then has a second part that crosses the
baseline again
Example of biphasic waveform - answerclassic epileptiform spike and slow wave
discharge
Polyphasic waves - answercross the baseline multiple times
monomorphic waves - answerappear the same in frequency and amplitude
Example of monomorphic waves - answermay be found in seizures, in which repetitive
spike and wave activity often looks very similar in portions of the seizure
Monomorphic patterns may also be called... - answerrhythmic patterns
polymorphic waves - answervary in frequency and amplitude
What is an example of polymorphic slowing? - answerslow wave sleep, in which high
amplitude polymorphic delta activity predominates the recording; can be abnormal
Amplitude (aka voltage) - answermeasured in microvolts, and describes the height of a
waveform
What is the typical amplitude of a normal adult brain? - answer10-100 microvolts
Morphology - answerdescribes the shape of a waveform or set of waves
depolarization - answeropening of the Na/K channels leading to a rush of Na+ into the
cell, with subsequent loss of the basal resting potential (so the usual -70mV may go, for
example, to +20mV). Pertinent for EEG is that this depolarization also leads to a
relatively negative voltage outside the cell.
hyperpolarization - answerwhen there is exaggerated movement of K+ out of the cell to
cause the resting intracellular voltage to become more negative, say from -70mV to -
100mV. Pertinent for EEG in this case is that hyper polarization leads to a relatively
positive voltage outside the cell.
Example of an excitatory neurotransmitter - answerglutamate
What does glutamate do? - answerbind to postsynaptic receptors and cause an
excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) to promote subsequent depolarization and
propagation of a signal through a network of neurons
Example of inhibitory neurotransmitters - answerGABA
