Clinical neurophysiology using electroencephalography in geriatric psychiatry: Neurobiologic implications and clinical utility

Electroencephalography (EEG) offers a unique contribution to the armamentar ium of imaging technologies used in the evaluation of brain function. The p rimary clinical application of EEG is in the diagnosis of delirium, dementi a, and epilepsy, which are frequently encountered in the practice-of gerops ychiatry. This review summarizes the principles behind generation of the EE G signal, its strengths and limitations as a technology, clinical indicatio ns for performing an EEG, the principles underlying quantitative EEG (QEEG) , and how QEEG is allowing us to probe brain function and connectivity in n ew ways.