Does The Electroencephalogram Affect The Future Of Psychology?

It seems nowadays, people have been using computers more frequently than in the past, it seems to become almost a requirement to have a computer in today’s modern times. Seems to be that technology, with it being almost everywhere we look is making the world evolve into something new. Psychology is known to be “the study of people” so you would assume that technology in general have no role in this field but this is incorrect (Paley). Psychology relies on the use of computers because it provides them with “tools and capabilities to study the human mind and human behavior” (Paley). One way of Psychology using technology into their field of work is by the Electroencephalogram (EEG), detects any defects in the brain related to electrical activity.
Psychology have to deal with mostly research; they have the opportunity to take any important questions about people and answer them all through research.
In the past, the researcher would have to record any research into a journal, and then they would get it published. If anyone were interested any research done by someone, the person would have to do it the old fashion way and go to the library. This seemed a bit complicated because the person if the library they first went to didn’t have the particular journal they were looking for, then they would have to go to another place and do the whole trying to find the journal thing over again. All of this died away when the growing of computers came to life. The growth of research nowadays can be tied in with computers. Not only are they used to transfer the information but to carry out the research. Researchers don’t have many tools, but with the internet it provides them with new choices. Technology helps psychologists and psychiatrists in helping them achieve their research and answer the questions they’ve been searching
for.
The Electroencephalogram is one of the ways psychologists and psychiatric patients use technology in helping to find any defects in the brain that is electrical activity, this “technique is used in cognitive science, cognitive psychology, and psychophysiological research” This brain imaging technique is important because it wouldn’t be performed without the use of computers for the recording and to analyze the output. The brain cells use electrical impulse to communicate. The way they can “be detected and recorded at the surface of the scalp through an EEG procedure, which tracks and records these electric patterns in the brain… Normal activity in the brain produces electrical signals that form a recognizable pattern” (Paley). Psychology use the EEG to observe and analyze seizures and epileptic disorders, it is said the EEG can also identify the causes of other disorders such as sleep disorders and the changes in normal behavior, or problems with language development. Psychologists can as well use Electroencephalogram when evaluating brain activity after a serious physical trauma, so they could determine whether their patient had experienced any cognitive defects because of the injury the patient suffered from.
The reason an Electroencephalogram is used to monitor the person’s brain activity and help diagnose any abnormalities such as seizures. Another way the EEG can be used is to monitor or detect health conditions such as: “Abnormal changes in body chemistry that affect the brain, Brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Confusion, Head injuries, Infections, Tumors” and also to “Evaluate problems with sleep (sleep disorders), Investigate periods of unconsciousness, Monitor the brain during brain surgery” (Jasmin). The EEG can show that the persons has no activity in the brain like if someone were to be in a deep coma then the EEG would be helpful in deciding whether that someone was to be brain dead. The way an Electroencephalogram can be done is either in a hospital or a doctor’s office by an EEG technologist. The record done by the EEG is done by a doctor who is specialized in detecting and treating disorders that affect the nervous system, this doctor can be known to be a neurologist. An EEG technologist attaches 17 to 21 flat metal discs which are the electrodes and places them in different parts on your head. Sometimes, the technologist might place a cap with fixed electrodes on your head and on rare cases; the electrodes can be attached to the persons scalp with tiny needles. These electrodes that are attached to your head are hooked by wired to a computer that will record any electrical activity within the brain. A machine with show the brain activity as a series of wavy lines that are drawn by a row of pens on a moving piece of paper. While the test is occurring, the patient can’t talk or move unless told to do so and the technologist will be watching from either a window or being directly there with you. During the test the technologist might ask the patient to do different things to be able to record what kind of activity the brain does. A few thing the technologist might ask you is “… to breathe deeply and rapidly (hyperventilate). Usually you will take 20 breaths a minute for 3 minutes… to look at a bright, flashing light called a strobe. This is called photic or stroboscopic stimulation… to go to sleep” (Poinier). The EEG can usually take up to one to two hours. During the EEG, the patient feels no pain.
There are hardly any risks when performing the EEG, it is a secure test. Although, there might be any risks there still could be a chance of the patient having a seizure, it can be triggered by the flashing light or the fast breathing, hyperventilation, that is required during the test. If this were to happen, the technologist conducting the patients test is trained to take care of the patient if a seizure were to occur.
There several different types of brain waves, Alpha waves, Beta waves, Delta waves and Theta waves. Alpha waves (rate of 8 to 12 cycles per second) are shown only when the patient is walking and their eyes are closed (mentally alert), these waves go away when the patient opens their eyes or they are concentrating. Beta waves (rate of 13 to 30 cycles per second) are usually found when the patient is alert or took high doses of certain medicines. Delta waves (rate of less than 3 cycles per second) and Theta waves (rate of 4 to 7 cycles per second) are normally found when the patient is asleep or in children. Electrical activity in the brain has a certain number of waves per second that are normal for the different level of alertness. An example would be, when a person is awake their brain waves are much faster than when they’re asleep. This is normal. In a normal test result the EEG would show
In adults who are awake, the EEG shows mostly alpha waves and beta waves… The two sides of the brain show similar patterns of electrical activity… There are no abnormal bursts of electrical activity and no slow brain waves on the EEG tracing… If flashing lights (photic stimulation) are used during the test, one area of the brain (the occipital region) may have a brief response after each flash of light, but the brain waves are normal. (Poinier) When the results of an EEG are abnormal it may mean “Abnormal bleeding (hemorrhage), An abnormal structure in the brain (such as a brain tumor), Attention problems, Tissue death due to a blockage in blood flow (cerebral infarction), Drug or alcohol abuse, Head injury, Migraines (in some cases), Seizure disorder (such as epilepsy or convulsions), Sleep disorder (such as narcolepsy), Swelling of the brain (encephalitis)” (Jasmin). Even though a EEG test results came out normal, it does not mean a seizure had occurred. In the test results in EEG of abnormal brain electrical activity if two sides of the brain are showing different electrical activity patterns, it may mean there’s a problem in one area or side of the brain. The results may also show sudden bursts of electrical activity (spikes) or sudden slowing of brain waves in the brain. These changes may be caused by a brain tumor, infection, injury, stroke, or epilepsy. When a person has epilepsy, the location and exact pattern of the abnormal brain waves may help show what type of epilepsy or seizures the person has. Keep in mind that in many people with epilepsy, the EEG may appear completely normal between seizures. An EEG by itself may not diagnose or rule out epilepsy or a seizure problem… delta waves or too many theta waves in adults who are awake. These results may mean brain injury or a brain illness is present. Some medicines can also cause this (Poinier). The Electroencephalogram has been of great use to psychologist, psychiatrists, and anyone else because of the way they are able to figure out if anything is wrong with the electrical activity in the brain. Just imagine being without this piece of technology in today’s world, who knows how we would figure out what is wrong with the human brain. Technology has made a great impact in our world, its evolving everyday coming out with new ideas on how to improve our world just a little bit more.

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Poinier, Anne . "Epilepsy Health Center." WebMD: Better information. Better health.. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jun 2012. .
Yilmaz, Cagri. "Emerging Technologies – Electroencephalography (EEG)." http://cagriyilmaz.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jun 2012. .