Basic Electrical Concepts

Abstract

In the brief survey of the EEG machine in the last chapter, many terms relating to electrical phenomena were used. We encountered terms like electric current, voltage, AC, DC, and electric circuit, to name a few. Thus far, these terms have gone undefined. To understand how the EEG machine does its job, some knowledge of these and other electrical concepts is essential. This is not to say that the EEG technician or neurology resident need to become adept in the area of physics, electronics, and electrical engineering. On the other hand, without some understanding of these concepts the EEG machine becomes a strange and mysterious device rather than a practical tool for recording a patient’s EEG.