Why are both the video and EEG monitoring needed?
The simultaneous use of video and EEG is needed to verify when seizures begin and what they look like. Ambulatory monitoring provides a recording of EEG that is focused at the time patients report in a seizure diary. An event marker pushed after the fact makes the correlation between the patient’s event and the EEG. This correlation is loose enough that a random EEG discharge could be misinterpreted as part of a seizure depending on when an event was signaled. The patient who may be unaware of the nature of the event also makes the report of the event. When possible, it is desirable to record and treat the seizures disabling the patient. Patients with multiple seizure types may find it impossible to record which type occurred. The video recording eliminates classification difficulties by allowing videotape review by patient family members familiar with the patient’s seizure types.
