The History of EEG and Epilepsy

Today, EEG is one of the most familiar tests associated with epilepsy. A century ago, recording the electrical activity of the human brain was still experimental.

1924: the first human EEG

German psychiatrist Hans Berger recorded the first human electroencephalogram in 1924 and published his findings in 1929. His work showed that electrical activity from the human brain could be recorded through electrodes placed on the scalp.

Epilepsy changes what EEG could show

During the 1930s, Frederic and Erna Gibbs, William Lennox and Herbert Jasper helped establish characteristic EEG patterns associated with epilepsy. In 1935, Gibbs, Davis and Lennox described the 3-Hz spike-and-wave pattern associated with absence seizures. Focal spikes and sharp waves were also recognised as markers of focal epileptic activity.

Why EEG mattered

Before EEG, clinicians relied heavily on witnessed descriptions of seizures. EEG added a new kind of evidence: a way to measure electrical brain activity between and during seizures. It helped distinguish seizure types, identify focal abnormalities and guide the development of epilepsy surgery.

EEG did not make diagnosis simple

Even today, a routine EEG can be normal in someone who has epilepsy, and abnormal activity can sometimes appear without a clinical seizure. EEG is therefore interpreted alongside the history, examination and other investigations rather than used as a stand-alone yes-or-no test.

From paper traces to long-term monitoring

EEG developed from short laboratory recordings into video-EEG, ambulatory EEG and prolonged monitoring capable of capturing events over hours or days. This has made it possible to identify seizures a person may not realise they are having, including some events during sleep.

Sources

Highlights in the History of Epilepsy: The Last 200 Years
EEG and Epilepsy Monitoring