You – or your child – registered for a QEEG and / or neuropsychological assessment at Brainclinics. On this page you’ll read information about preparing for the assessment and the assessment itself. The assessment process is explained below.

On the day of the QEEG neuropsychological assessment

QEEG and neuropsychological assessment

In order to perform a reliable QEEG assessment, it is important that you take the following precautions and preparations:

• Wash your hair in the morning with a shampoo without conditioner and make sure it is dry.
• Do not use hair styling products (hairspray, gel, wax, etc.). Those products could interfere with the EEG measurements.
• Do not use make-up or greasy cream on your face.
• Wear comfortable clothes, for example a vest or T-shirt with v-neck (no turtleneck-sweater or other clothes with a high collar).
• It is important that at least 6 hours before the assessment you refrain from using alcohol, marihuana or other recreational drugs.
• If you feel the need to smoke tobacco, please try to smoke as little as possible and don’t smoke at least 2 hours before the assessment. It is not allowed to smoke during the assessment. These instructions apply to e-cigarettes as well.
• Do not consume caffeine at least 2 hours before the assessment (coffee, tea -this includes green tea-, cola, energy drinks or hot chocolate).
• Your cooperation on all of these points is very important. The test results will become unreliable if you don’t adhere to these guidelines. If you don’t cooperate it is possible that the QEEG needs to be rescheduled. Any costs due to this rescheduling will be on the clients account!

QEEG and neuropsychological assessment

Where we speak of QEEG we focus on normative EEG, or QEEG data that are compared to a control group or normative database. Furthermore, we will restrict our focus to the application of QEEG to neuropsychiatric conditions, whereas more strictly neurological applications fall beyond the scope of the thesis. In this chapter where we report on EEG power measures we will only report on absolute EEG unless stated otherwise. Relative EEG power measures often obscure findings making it unclear what is actually going on in the EEG, e.g. if the total absolute alpha power is decreased, it might appear as an increased ‘relative’ beta and theta power.

The QEEG assessment

A short video providing an overview of the QEEG and intake procedures at Brainclinics and neuroCare clinics:

You’ll get a short questionnaire to indicate how you feel. The researcher will also measure your head to determine the location of the electrodes and clean or scrub some spots on the skin around your face (around the eyes, neck, wrist, cheek, forehead and collarbone).

Then you get a sort of bathing-hat (cap) on your head containing 26 electrodes. Through these electrodes the EEG, eye movements, muscle tone and heart rate are measured. The electrodes are filled with a salt mixture. We’ll place a few electrodes on the skin too.

After these preparations the actual EEG recording will begin. You will get instructions on the computer screen and through a headset.
This test takes about an hour to complete.

Children

In order to obtain a reliable result, children are expected to perform these tests without parental supervision, however, a parent or carer can wait in the room adjacent to the assessment room and possibly read a book or magazine.

After the QEEG assessment

After the test we’ll remove the cap and you can stretch your legs and freshen up. You may also want to wash your hair to rinse out the gel that is used in the cap. Shampoo, towel and a hair dryer are available in the private space we provide.

Optional second test

In some cases a neuropsychological assessment can follow the QEEG assessment. This is a computerized neuropsychological test suite that takes approximately one hour. During these tests, you sit alone in a room behind a touchscreen. You will get instructions through the headphones and touch screen.

Your QEEG neuropsychological assessment results

After the examination, your personal data is processed and sent to the database through a secure interface. Within one to two weeks the report is finished and you’ll receive a treatment advice from an experienced psychologist. Your practicioner will contact you to set an appointment for a discussion of the report.
Overview of the QEEG tests

Overview of the neuropsychological tests

If you are unable to come at the appointed time, please let us know as soon as possible, so another client may take your place.