A. Every Thursday is EEG lab day; however, we can perform an EEG on any weekday. A request for a weekend day will be individually considered.

A. An experienced EEG technician will administer the EEG.

A. Yes. Dr. Emory’s therapeutic method relies on the EEG and quantitative EEG [qEEG]results as well as other objective information to determine optimal treatment selection for each person's brain type.

A. No. The EEG test is painless and non-invasive. Your comfort is important to us.

A. No. The EEG electrodes measure the electricity coming out of your brain. Nothing goes through your scalp or skull.

A. Patients must be at least 6 years old to have a quantified EEG test. The database we use with the patient’s test results does not include children under 6. It is difficult for children to sit still, but we do our best to make it possible to obtain the data. Parents are welcome to be in the room with their children during the test; furthermore, if a child cannot sit still for 12 minutes, we can interupt the test in order to give the patient short breaks to move around or stretch.

A. We can quantify EEG data on patients up to ninety years of age.

A. The EEG procedure requires from 1 to 1.5 hours; however, the actual recording is only 20 minutes. The majority of the time is the set-up because electrodes need to be carefully placed on the scalp and the time can vary from person to person.

A. You should be awake and alert during the test. In order for us to obtain the best results possible, it is important that you try to get a good night’s rest before the test.

A. You do not need to cut or shave your hair, but you do need to wash it with shampoo and dry it completely. Do not use any conditioner or any hair products such as gel, mousse or hairspray. These can prevent the electrodes from sticking to the scalp properly and can inhibit the connection between the electrodes and the skin. If you have dreadlocks, extensions or braids, you must take them out before the test.

A. You will need a hairbrush to brush your scalp before the test. Brushing the scalp sloughs off dead skin cells and helps the electrodes get a good, connection. If you do not bring your own brush you will have to use one of the brushes that are kept in the EEG lab for that purpose. Even if you are bald or have very short hair, you will need to bring a hairbrush as you will be brushing your scalp, not your hair.

A. Yes. If the electrodes touch any metal during the test, it will distort the data. It is important to remove earrings and necklaces prior to the test. If you have ear studs that must be professionally removed, this must be done prior to coming in for the test. Additionally, any other surface jewelry also needs to be removed as this can create distortion in the EEG.

A. Yes. There are no dietary restrictions for this test however, you should limit your caffeine intake before the test and should not drink more than one caffeinated beverage the morning of the test.

A. Over the counter medicines such as pain relievers and allergy medication can affect the results of the test and can skew the data. Some of these agents can stay in your system for several days or even weeks. In order to obtain an accurate test you should not take any over the counter medication for at least a week prior to the test. This can include inhalers and nasal sprays. If you have a question about something you are taking or want to take, ask a member of our staff.

A. Any substance which crosses the blood-brain barrier should not be taken prior to the test unless specifically instructed to do so per Dr. Emory's request. This includes amino acids, essential oils, herbal supplements and illegal drugs. You should go over a complete list of anything you are taking with the office staff prior to scheduling the test. We will give you details about how to stop taking anything that needs to be discontinued, and what you can keep taking.

A. You should not consume ANY alcohol for three days before the test. Just like medication, it affects the results of the test.

A. Please let the office know as soon as possible so they can reschedule your test. If the test must be rescheduled with less than 48 hours notice, you will be charged a fee of $150 to pay for the technician’s time.

A. You should plan to arrive a few minutes early for your test. If you arrive too late for the test to be performed, you will have to reschedule. Any time you miss your test entirely without giving 48 hours notice, you will be billed for both the technician’s time and the doctor’s time.

A. You can watch a slideshow of an EEG procedure in the “Who We Are” Section. When you come for your EEG you will come into the lab and begin by brushing your hair and scalp thoroughly for 3-5 minutes. You will sit in a chair similar to a dentist chair and the EEG technician will make sure that you are not wearing jewelry and that you do not have any electronic devices near you that might disrupt the test or affect the data. This includes cell phones.The technician will measure your head to determine what size cap to use. The technician will put a foam sticker on your forehead that will hold the cap in place so that the electrodes touch the correct locations on the scalp. The technician will then have you hold your hair back and will pull the cap over your head. The technician will use a cotton swab to move your hair away from the spots where the electrodes will go. The technician will swab a small area on your scalp with abrasive gel then the technician will push an electrode into a small hole in the cap. The electrodes are tiny, plastic, gel-filled cups that attach to the cap with metal tabs. The gooey gel sticks gently to your scalp allowing the electricity that your brain emits to travel through the scalp, through the gel and into the cap itself through the tabs. There are no needles and nothing ever goes into your scalp or brain. The cap has wires that connect to a computer and your brain waves show up as a pattern on the computer screen. There are 19 electrodes that must be carefully placed on your scalp, ears and collarbone. When all the electrodes are in place and have a good connection, the technician will put pillows under your arms and make sure you are sitting comfortably. The technician may have you hold cotton over your eyes. This is to help keep your eyes from moving during the test. Eye movement shows up on the test and can make it difficult for the doctor to read the test results. Once you are settled with your eyes closed, the technician will start the test. The test is very easy; all you have to do is sit and try to move as little as possible for the duration of the test. The initial EEG lasts 12 minutes, subsequent EEGs are usually done for 10 minutes. If necessary, the technician can prevent you from falling asleep and may use some exercises to help you keep your eyes still. You may swallow, yawn and sneeze or cough if you need to during the test. Also, the technician can stop the test at any moment if you need to move or adjust. After the test, the cap comes right off and normally the electrodes stay in the cap. The gel is water soluble and can be washed out of your hair if any get stuck. The technician records the information from the test onto a disc and gives it to the doctor to review and go over with you. That’s it!

A. The initial EEG is generally an un-medicated baseline EEG. This test allows the doctor to see what your brainwave profile looks like when you are in your most natural state, unaffected by medication. The doctor looks at the test results to determine in what ways you can enhance or improve your brain balance. The second EEG is a medicated EEG. It is the only way to understand the objective effects of treatment on your brain activity. The second test is necessary to know if medication is improving your brain function. The doctor uses the results of the test, along with physical monitoring and your subjective opinion, to gauge progress toward balancing your neurobiology. Then, he can suggest appropriate adjustments to further improve or optimize your treatment.

A. The first is removal of stigma. Persons who suffer with a persistent causal neurophysiology that is unidentified are accustomed to feeling inadequate, unworthy or ashamed.

• Dr. Emory’s patient centered research taught him that although healthy persons enjoy predictable physical and mental wellbeing, persons with a persistent mental disorder do not have such capacity.
• He slowly realized that persons with a brain based mental disorder find ways to relieve the misery of a neurobiological variance or abnormality.
• Persistent substance abuse, bingeing, purging, restricting food, obsessions, compulsions, self-mutilation, habitual aggression and/or violence, etc. are behaviors that change neurophysiology. If a behavior – even maladaptive behavior – temporarily improves a variant or abnormal neurophysiology, the behavior can become habitual.