Neurophysiology is the branch of neuroscience that studies the physiology of the nervous system. Within this area we perform:
- Electroencephalograms (EEG), which is a painless procedure that uses small, flat metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp, used to detect the electrical activity of the brain. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, this activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording. An EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy and is utilized in diagnosing other brain disorders. In this area Electromyography (EMG) studies are also performed.
- EMG is a diagnostic procedure utilized to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them (motor neurons). Motor neurons transmit electrical signals that cause muscles to contract.
- Electronic Visual Potentials (EVP): Visual evoked potentials detect loss of vision from optic nerve damage (in particular, damage caused by multiple sclerosis). The patient sits close to a screen and is asked to focus on the center of a shifting checkerboard pattern. Only one eye is tested at a time; the other eye is either kept closed or covered with a patch. Each eye is usually tested twice.
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