EEG
For the clarification of an epilepsy, a sleep deprivation EEG can be performed, if an epilepsy is considered possible but cannot be proven by the normal EEG. Sleep deprivation can increase the probability of the occurrence of the epileptic electrical potentials that are derived during an EEG. In addition, the epileptic patterns occur in many cases during sleep and particularly frequently during light sleep.
Therefore, it is the usual procedure to perform an EEG after a night when the patient in question has not slept and is therefore in a state of particular fatigue. It is still being discussed in the scientific community whether the actual sleep deprivation or the increased proportion of sleep caused by sleep deprivation is decisive for the development of the potentials typical of epilepsy. Usually, the EEG takes place in a darkened, quiet room to ensure that the patient really falls asleep. It should not be forgotten that this method can also trigger the activation of seizures.
