EEG Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield EEG facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What unit of measurement is amplitude? → Microvolts
2. Occipital intermittent rhythmic delta activity (OIRDA) in a child is most commonly associated with: → Childhood absence epilepsy or posterior fossa pathology
3. Waveforms connected to and unrelated from clinical seizure symptoms. → The epileptiform
4. Impedance checks during ambulatory EEG should be performed: → At hookup and at each follow-up visit or when the recording device is checked
5. What is the normal frequency range of the posterior dominant rhythm (alpha rhythm) in a healthy awake adult? → 8-13 Hz
6. Alpha intrusion into NREM sleep (alpha-delta sleep) is associated with: → Non-restorative sleep and fibromyalgia
7. A patient's family member requests a copy of the EEG report. Under what condition can the technologist release this information? → Only after obtaining proper written authorization consistent with HIPAA regulations
8. Delta brushes in neonatal EEG are a normal developmental pattern seen at what gestational age range? → 26-38 weeks conceptional age
9. What is the primary waveform of clinical interest in a pattern reversal visual evoked potential (VEP)? → P100
10. The cortical area represented by electrode T3 (T7 in modified nomenclature) overlies which brain region? → Left mid-temporal region near the Sylvian fissure
11. Positive occipital sharp transients of sleep (POSTS) are a normal finding seen during which sleep state? → NREM light sleep (N1-N2)
12. Hypnagogic hypersynchrony in children refers to: → High-amplitude 3–4.5 Hz rhythmic activity at drowsiness onset
13. Subclinical rhythmic electrographic discharges of adults (SREDA) is a rare benign pattern that mimics: → Electrographic seizure activity with rhythmic theta over widespread or posterior regions
14. A unilaterally prolonged P100 latency on visual evoked potential testing is most characteristically associated with which condition? → Demyelinating optic neuritis (multiple sclerosis)
15. What is the typical frequency range of theta activity in EEG? → 4-8 Hz
16. Which artifact appears as a regular, rhythmic waveform at the same frequency as the patient's heart rate? → Pulse artifact (ECG artifact)
17. Which montage type displays the voltage difference between each electrode and a common reference point? → Referential montage
18. The 'N13' potential recorded at the cervical spine (Cv5 or Cv7 electrode) during median nerve SSEP is generated by which structure? → Dorsal horn/dorsal column nuclei at the cervicomedullary junction
19. Which epileptiform pattern consists of high-amplitude, chaotic, multifocal spikes and slow waves seen in infantile spasms? → Hypsarrhythmia
20. In a BAEP recording, absent Wave I with relatively preserved Waves III and V most likely indicates pathology at which level? → Cochlea or cochlear nerve peripheral to the brainstem
21. Delta activity (0.5-4 Hz) in a normal awake adult EEG is considered abnormal because it typically indicates: → Cortical dysfunction from structural or metabolic causes
22. Reflex epilepsy triggered by specific cognitive tasks (such as reading or calculating) is an example of: → Cognitive activation of seizures (thinking epilepsy or praxis-induced epilepsy)
23. An EEG electrode placed at C3, according to the International 10-20 System, primarily records activity from which cortical region? → The primary motor and somatosensory cortex (Brodmann areas 4, 1, 2, 3)
24. What is the primary advantage of ambulatory EEG over inpatient video-EEG monitoring? → Recording in the patient's natural environment at lower cost
25. In a healthy 3-year-old child, the posterior dominant rhythm (PDR) during relaxed wakefulness with eyes closed is expected to have a frequency of approximately: → 8-9 Hz
26. Which sleep stage is characterized by a low-amplitude, mixed-frequency EEG without sleep spindles, K-complexes, or delta waves? → N1
27. Pattern of Electrographic Seizures. → Ictal
28. What is the recommended duration for hyperventilation during a routine EEG recording? → 3 minutes
29. What electrode application method is preferred for ambulatory EEG to ensure electrodes remain in place during extended recording? → Collodion adhesive
30. Sweat artifact on EEG typically presents as: → Very slow, undulating baseline shifts in the delta or sub-delta frequency range