Written Exam Outline

  1. Physiology and Instrumentation
    1. Physiology
      1. Anatomy of neural generation
      2. Mechanisms of EEG and evoked potential generation
      3. Pathophysiology of abnormal waveforms
      4. Basic mechanisms of epileptogenesis
    2. Instrumentation and Acquisition Procedures
      1. Basic electricity and electronics
      2. Amplifiers and their characteristics
      3. Calibration
      4. Filters
      5. Localization and polarity
      6. Artifacts
      7. Electrical Safety
      8. Computers and principles of averaging
      9. Electrodes
      10. Techniques of ECS determination
      11. Statistics
      12. Long term monitoring
      13. Instrumentation and safety in the operating room
      14. Principles of EEG digitalization
  2. Clinical EEG
    1. Basic EEG Patterns from Prematurity to Senescence
      1. Maturational changes
        1. Neonatal
        2. Other age related changes
      2. Normal adult patterns-wake
      3. Normal variants
      4. Activation procedures
    2. Clinical Correlation
      1. Seizures
      2. Other paroxysmal and transient conditions
      3. Focal lesions
      4. Diffuse and multifocal encephalopathies
      5. Coma
      6. Brain death
      7. Drug and other treatment effects
      8. Patterns of uncertain significance
      9. Disorders affecting sleep patterns
      10. Periodic patterns
      11. Neonatal disorders
      12. Extended monitoring
  3. Clinical Evoked Potentials
    1. Visual
      1. Stimulus and recording techniques
      2. Physiological parameters
      3. Standard parameters of stimulation and recording
      4. Criteria of abnormality
      5. Clinical correlation
    2. Auditory
      1. Stimulus and recording parameters
      2. Physiological parameters
      3. Standard parameters of stimulation and recording
      4. Criteria of abnormality
      5. Clinical correlation
    3. Somatosensory
      1. Stimulus and recording parameters
      2. Physiological parameters
      3. Standard parameters of stimulation and recording
      4. Criteria of abnormality
      5. Clinical correlation
    4. Event related
      1. Stimulus and recording techniques
      2. Physiological parameters
      3. Standard parameters of stimulation and recording
      4. Criteria of abnormality
      5. Clinical correlation
  4. Sleep
    1. Technical, polysomnography
      1. Selection of appropriate recorded variables
        1. Neonates and children
        2. Adults
      2. Recording parameters for different variables
      3. Recording respiration
      4. Artifacts
    2. Physiology
      1. Sleep stage criteria
        1. Neonates and children
        2. Adults
      2. Patterns of drowsiness and sleep
        1. Neonates
        2. Children, adults, elderly
      3. Sleep indices criteria
      4. Normal sleep architecture
      5. Normal EEG patterns of drowsiness in children, adults and elderly
      6. Circadian rhythms and sleep
      7. Neural and neurochemical control of sleep patterns
      8. Effects of sleep deprivation, sleep needs
    3. Clinical aspects
      1. Effect on epileptiform activity and seizures
        1. Neonates and children
        2. Adults
      2. Common parasomnias
      3. Effects of drugs on sleep architecture
      4. Criteria of abnormal sleep architecture
      5. Disorders of excessive sonmnolence
        1. Polysomnographic testing in diagnosis
        2. Multiple sleep latency testing in diagnosis
      6. Disorders of initiation and maintenance of sleep
      7. Abnormalities of sleep in CNS disease
      8. Indications for sleep monitoring
  5. Intraoperative Monitoring
    1. SEP monitoring for spinal cord, brainstem and cerbral surgery
    2. BAEP monitoring techniques for either nerve and brainstem surgery
    3. EEG monitoring for cerebral surgery
    4. Motor evoked potential monitoring for spinal cord surgery
    5. Cranial nerve monitoring
    6. Criteria for decision making
    7. Influence of anesthetic agents
  6. Epilepsy
    1. Applications and limitations of ambulatory EEG monitoring
    2. Applications and limitations of video/EEG monitoring
    3. Recognition of ictal patterns
    4. Correlation of EEG patterns with clinical syndromes
    5. Intracranial recording

Revised 11/99