Question
A girl had a seizure-like episode upon waking up in the morning two months ago. After resting for several hours, she went to the hospital for an EEG and brain MRI scan, both of which showed normal results, as did her pulse. Therefore, she was not diagnosed with epilepsy. However, she has been experiencing slight hand tremors upon waking up in the morning. Last Friday, due to lack of sleep and exam stress, she woke up at 10 AM on Saturday and found that her tremors had intensified and she had another seizure. How can epilepsy be diagnosed?
Answer
If a doctor at a professional hospital considers the possibility of epilepsy, then a brain EEG check is still necessary to confirm. Normal results from a routine EEG do not necessarily mean the absence of epilepsy, as routine EEGs have fewer electrodes and are usually shorter in duration, making it difficult to capture epilepsy waves. Some primary epilepsy cases may not show up on an MRI either, so normal test results cannot completely rule out the possibility of epilepsy. Guidance: It is recommended that you seek evaluation from an experienced doctor at a professional hospital to determine whether the symptoms are epilepsy, which will decide the subsequent tests needed. If confirmed as epilepsy symptoms or there is a high suspicion, it is suggested that you undergo a long-term multiple