ECG and EEG
Electroencephalogram or EEG is related to the brain and electrocardiogram or ECG is related to the heart. EEG is the equipment used for measuring electrical activities of the brain. On the other hand, ECG is used for measuring activities of heart.
EEG is mainly used for diagnosing seizure disorders, infections, tumors, degenerative disorders and metabolic disturbances that could affect the brain. On the contrary, ECG is used to determine the rate of heartbeats, heart chamber positions and if there is any damage to heart. The ECG helps in determining if a person has any problems of the heart.
Augustus Waller of St Mary’s Hospital in London was the first person to systematically approach the heart from an electrical point of view. He used Lippmann capillary electrometer for determining electrical impulses of the heart. But a breakthrough in ECG testing came with the string galvanometer developed by Willem Einthoven of Netherlands.
Though many had experimented with electrical impulses of the brain, German psychiatrist Hans Berger is credited with inventing EEG.
When talking of the etymology, both Electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram come from Greek. ECG is derived from electro (electrical activity), cardio (heart) and graph (write). EEG is derived from electron, encephalos (brain) and gram.
(record).
Both the ECG and the EEG uses electrodes for determining electric impulses of the heart and the brain. In EEG, the electrodes are attached to the scalp. But for taking ECG, the electrodes are attached to the chest, legs, arms and neck. While about 16 to 20 electrodes are used in EEG testing, about 12 electrodes are used in ECG testing.
While ECG testing involves no risks or pain the EEG testing comes with certain adverse conditions. People having seizures who undergo an EEG test can experience seizures at the flash of lights.
Summary
1. EEG is the equipment used for measuring electrical activities of the brain. On the other hand, ECG is used for measuring the activities of heart.
2. In EEG, electrodes are attached to the scalp. But in ECG, the electrodes are attached to the chest, legs, arms and neck.
3. EEG is used for diagnosing seizure disorders, infections, tumors, degenerative disorders and metabolic disturbances affecting the brain. ECG determines rate of heartbeats, heart chamber positions and if there is any damage to heart.
4. ECG involves no risks or pain but EEG comes with certain adverse conditions.
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Superb! Explanation
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Good Experience for knowledge about EEG and ECG
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Seizures? please explain…
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The fourth point about adverse conditions experienced during EEG is misconstrued and poorly worded. You essentially said “people having seizures are at risk for having seizures”.
Merely using an EEG poses no risk of seizure, it simple records electrical activity from your scalp. Flashing light (which are not part of an EEG) are an entirely separate risk. The only time an epilepsy patient would be shown flashing lights while undergoing an EEG is when the doctors are specifically trying to induce seizures so they can localize where in the brain the disturbance arises.
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