abnormal eeg and did?

I have DID and was diagnosed many years ago. I have lived with it and done okay, but recently I had an eeg that was abnormal. Someone told me it could be due to dissociation. Is that possible? The Neurologist couldn't find anything wrong with me, and is stumped on the EEG results. Oh and I had the EEG done for headaches.

I don't know if this will help you, but i will share my experience with this. Ideally, you could speak with a psychiatrist who specializes in DID, but i know that is not always an easy thing to do. I had an EEG done very soon after i was diagnosed with DID in 2000. Sometimes, temporal lobe seizures (they are also known as partial (complex, I think) sezures can look like dissociation and vice versa. My results showed no abnormalities, and so seizures were ruled out. these are the kind where a person tends to stare off, maybe blink but do not have tremors. From the research I've done, headaches and migraines are the most common physical symptom that are experienced by folks with DID. If the neurologist who read your EEG found nothing, then I think you can most likely trust that you are okay. I hope this helps, or at least gives you some leads into further research on your own or questions to ask your doctors. Take care. if safe

Your question has blown me away because i've asked it. i have a long history of issues around this very thing but am not in a space where i can really talk further about it right now. i would like to get back to this: "Abnormal read" with no further explanation?=familiar. i don't have the answer to your question but share in asking it.

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately my EEG was abnormal in the temporal lobe. But the neurologist can't explain why it is abnormal since I am not having seizures and it is unlikely I am suddenly having seizures at 38 years old that are not noticable. I was worried about a tumor, but the MRI was fine. I did some research on it, and it seems there is some conection between the temporal lobe and possible dissociation, but I couldn't find anything definitive on it. Thanks!

I don't know if this will help OR further deepen the mystery around abnormal eeg and DID, however, in my case, the doctors kept wanting to do longer and longer eeg studies which was triggering for me at the time. My pysch doctor went with me to the last eeg study and he called names out, (our system okayed him to do) and my pysch doctor found certain alters had epilepsy but since they were not "body runners" and wouldn't be able to be out everyday to take medicine the alters that ran the body mostly found it would hurt me if the vast majority of ThaCrew didn't have seizures. So in my case that has happened.
As far as headaches are concerned an old therapist told me once that those are called MPD headaches. Secrets being told, frantic alters, work hard in therapy and with yourselfs, it really does begin to "spiral" back up.
Hope this helps. ((((hugs))) know that we care, ThaCrew

I'd really be interested in hearing if you get any answers regarding this. It actually wouldn't surprise me if there was a direct link between temporal lobe activity and dissociation since the temporal lobe contains one site of language (Broca's area) and in the case of PTSD activation (when the autonomic nervous system is in overdrive or crisis), which is pretty much a given for those of us with dissociative disorders, speech is literally shut down. Bessell van der Kolk has done research in this area and has described this. I have found this to be true, especially when recalling terror, and this also seemed to be linked with a particular child alter who is mute. I've taken you off the track somewhat here, but maybe it just means that there is still so much to be learned about the way our brains work after being severely traumatized.
I can understand how unnerving this must be for you, and all who have had "abnormal" EEGs - like what do they actually mean? I'm glad you had the MRI and can relax about a tumor. I would have been worried too. Still, you have unanswered questions and when it comes to the brain, that's not fun. I really hope this gets solved for you, or at least that you can be reassured that you are okay despite the puzzle. if safe

my EEGs always have more of the brain waves that mark sleeping and resting states when I have them done when I am beginning to dissociate, then they change depending on the alters I change into. the EEG tech said my waves get really wild when I am an angry alter and they get calm and sleepy like when I am an easy going alter. But when Im not dissociated my brain waves are completely normal.

"Description: No sedation was used and no sleep obtained. It is a moderate voltage recording with a basic 7 per second activity. On pp. 490; 503 and 513 there are some higher voltage bursts. Hyperventilation was done fairly well with constant urging and produces some higher voltage 3 to 4 per second waves bi-temporal, maximal right. No mental activity was attempted and photic stimulation produces some higher voltage bursts at 15 flashes.

Impression: Dys. grade 1 bi-temporal. There does seem to be a preponderance of high voltage slow waves from R temporal and parietal areas. This is an abnormal record."

Reaction: None--no diagnosis made, no treatment recommendation made, no follow up made.

This was an eeg done when i was five years old. i was referred by a pediatric specialist to a neuropsychologist to rule out petit mal seizures due to a change in behavior that followed a stay in the hospital. The behavior described was staring off/seemingly out of touch with reality and shaking my head, along with perhaps more general activity and me staying up later. The hospital stay was for acute pharyngitis and a fever of 105, the cause of which i question (and can't prove). The quote is from the eeg report. The neuropsychologist actually administered the eeg yet never mentioned his own test results in any follow up letters or actions.

I had a long history of headaches before I was diagnosed w Temporal lobe epilepsey at age 38! I also had slow waves and what they call 'absence' seizures, prior to that had done many things w/out remembering them. Had alters who would talk through me. Once I got on the right epilepsey meds.... all this stopped. Including (yeah!) the headaches. I take Topomax a very small dose and it also helps me loose weight. Ask about absence seizures... they are not petite mal...but hey are a recognize Neuro dx.

MeSo, I think it amazing that you have a report from when you were so little! So there has never been any follow-up? Seems odd, but so is life. How do you feel when you read this? Do you understand what it means? I wonder what a current neurologist would make of this report?
If i can summon up some energy I'll do some rersearch and see if i can come up with any new studies on EEG and dissociation. I'll post here if i find anything interesting. if safe

Piper,

I'd recommend seeing an epileptologist. They are neurologists who have specialized in treating seizure disorders ~ epileptic as well as non-epileptic. Go to them with the results of your tests.

I'd hypothesize that the activity seen in your EEG is pre-ictal abnormality. Pre-ictal is electrical activity that occurs before a seizure. The focus would have slightly higher activity than normal. Ictal being the seizure itself, with high activity in the focus. Post-ictal is after the seizure, and the activity is slower than normal. Seizures can begin at any age, but do typically begin in childhood (infancy-teens) and become relatively common with elderly adults.

My personal experience: I began having simple partial and complex partial seizures in my youth. It wasn't recognized at all until I was 26 years old, however, after a complex partial secondarily-generalized and became tonic clonic. I did have surgery to remove the focus 3 years ago, yet still continue to have dissociation. From what I've read, those with dissociation can have epilepsy. Those with both are usually given the diagnosis of epilepsy (rather than both). Why, I don't know, but it is confusing. I'm now 38 years old and am working to understand exactly what is wrong with me. It can be frustrating!

Hope that this post helps you a little. Check out this site for info on epilepsy: http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/types_seizures

Shez

This is such an interesting thread because there seems to be so many different ways of looking and seeing test results. Nothing is definative. Mind we're all commenting as PC users and our experiences are varied. Thinking about possibilities and outcomes begins to help pinpoint various options.

As well, in our experience we have had many times as an adult where there has been no speech. Preverbal trauma or just trauma. We have only been able to resolve this with specific therapy and even then there have been many layers.

H

i have seen lots of people (including myself) with speech problems at times. i don't know--for myself only--if my speechlessness is from pre-verbal abuse. So far, i just associate it with dissociation and often times unknown triggers. i can be going along then suddenly i'm staring and i can't speak...i have to force myself to get one word out at a time. i've read others who have the same experience.

Life is strange...

It's our resolve that is better to have these 'revelations of past abuse' on the outside than the inside where help, care and comfort can be provided by ourselves, therapist and others, albeit at times more painful than fair.

Triggers are an indication, dissociation is the result...but finding the reasons (even non-verbal) is our 'good' selfcare.

H

Hi al,
l forgot to mention that I have a daughter recently diagnosed w DID and her eegs were abnormal as a child and also her MRI.
I really believe there is a physical component to DID, other than the truma we experienced when so young...Or did they rewire us? I've heard theories that repeated abuse during early childhood "rewires" the brain at least in terms of neurotranmitter secretion.
Anyway, Hang on! There IS hope. I truly believe Help is coming soon.

Curious about what ways daughter's eeg was abnormal as i'm investigating the same.

All,
Have recently had an eeg, mri and spect along with blood work...awaiting results. Had done because of prenatal attempt on us using alcohol...not sure how much, how often or what trimester. Don't want to discuss the psychological cr_p on this thread thanks but does seem interesting as working ptsd/dissociative issues for about 9 years now. Anyone every had a qeeg?

H