QEEG Brain Mapping
You have described your symptoms, answered the questionnaires, and you still wonder what is really happening inside your mind. Standard tests do not always reveal the full story.
What QEEG Brain Mapping Is
QEEG stands for quantitative electroencephalography. Your brain produces small electrical signals all the time. Sensors on the scalp pick them up, and software turns the recording into maps that show how much activity there is in each region of the brain, and at what speed. It is a non-invasive look at your brain waves.
The maps are then compared with a database of people of the same age. QEEG helps identify patterns in brain activity that may be linked to attention, mood, sleep, learning or emotional concerns. It does not name a condition. It gives your clinician measured information about your brain-wave patterns, to read next to your history and the rest of your assessment.
How the Assessment Works
- A sensor cap is placed on the scalp. There are no needles: the sensors only detect electrical signals through the scalp.
- You rest with your eyes open for several minutes, then with your eyes closed. Some simple tasks may be added.
- The raw EEG is recorded and processed through QEEG analysis software.
- The maps show activity in the main frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma.
- At Top Medical Care, LORETA analysis can be used to estimate which broad areas of the brain the activity recorded at the scalp is coming from.
The recording session takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes. A clinician reviews the results and discusses them with you in a separate appointment, with written findings and recommendations provided.
What a QEEG Can and Cannot Tell You
What a QEEG can show
- Patterns that may be linked to attention, mood, sleep or learning concerns
- Extra information your clinician can use when planning support and treatment
What a QEEG cannot do
- Diagnose ADHD, depression, anxiety or any other condition on its own
- Confirm an ADHD diagnosis. That rests on the clinical assessment, and the American Academy of Neurology advises against using the EEG theta to beta ratio to confirm it
- Show what caused your symptoms
- Test for epilepsy. If seizures are suspected, a doctor orders a clinical EEG
- Measure how well you remember, concentrate or learn. Cognitive testing does that
Research has linked some patterns to some conditions. Studies have reported, for example, more slow-wave (theta) activity at the front of the brain in ADHD, differences in alpha activity between the two sides of the brain in depression, and more fast beta activity in anxiety. These are group averages. Studies do not all agree, and people with and without a condition overlap widely. So a QEEG cannot confirm or rule out a condition by itself.
The evidence for using QEEG to diagnose psychiatric conditions, or to guide their treatment, is limited. In 2019 a task force of the American Psychiatric Association concluded that QEEG is not recommended for guiding treatment choice in depression. Research is continuing.
Who It May Help
A QEEG is not needed for everyone, and it is not a standard test for any mental health condition. It may add useful information when:
- symptoms have not responded to treatment as expected. It can show patterns to consider alongside the rest of the assessment. Research on predicting which treatment will work from brain activity is still developing, and QEEG is not a standard way to choose one.
- there are memory or concentration concerns, alongside cognitive testing
- you want measured information about brain activity included in your assessment
Your clinician decides at assessment whether it is likely to add anything in your case.
Safety and What to Expect
A QEEG only records. It does not stimulate the brain, and it is not a treatment. The recording is not expected to cause side effects beyond minor discomfort: some people find the cap snug, and sitting still with eyes closed for several minutes can be hard for young children.
Movement, blinking and muscle tension disturb the signal, so you will be asked to stay as still as you can. If you have ever had a seizure or a head injury, mention it at your assessment, because it affects how the recording is read.
Where QEEG Fits in Your Care
QEEG is one input to a full assessment, next to a clinical conversation with a psychiatrist or psychologist, your history, and, where needed, cognitive assessments, which test memory, attention and thinking skills directly. It does not decide which treatment you need. Your clinician does that from the whole assessment.
At Top Medical Care, a QEEG assessment typically comes before a neurofeedback programme. Neurofeedback is a separate treatment with its own evidence and its own page. Brain stimulation options are described under brain stimulation therapies and tDCS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a QEEG the same as an EEG?
Both record the brain’s electrical activity through sensors on the scalp. A standard EEG is read by eye, mainly to look for problems such as seizure activity. A QEEG runs the recording through analysis software and compares it with a database of people of the same age. It does not replace an EEG ordered for suspected seizures.
Is it the same as an MRI or CT scan?
No. MRI and CT show the structure of the brain. QEEG records electrical activity, so it shows how the brain is working during the recording, not what it looks like. Neither is a test for a psychiatric condition on its own.
What are delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma?
They are brain rhythms named by speed. Delta and theta are slower, alpha sits in the middle, and beta and gamma are faster. Everyone has all of them. What matters is the balance, which changes with age, alertness and whether your eyes are open.
What is LORETA?
The name stands for low resolution electromagnetic tomography. It estimates which brain areas the activity recorded at the scalp is coming from. The low resolution is part of the name: it gives an estimate of the areas involved, not an exact location.
Can a QEEG show which medication will work for me?
No. Research on predicting medication response from brain activity is still developing, and QEEG is not a standard way to choose a medication. Your clinician decides on treatment from your assessment as a whole.
What if my result is normal?
A normal result does not mean your symptoms are not real. Many conditions do not change the pattern on a QEEG. Your clinician weighs the result together with your history and the rest of the assessment.
What if my map is different from the norm?
It does not mean you have a disorder. Healthy people vary, and the database is a comparison, not a diagnosis. Your clinician looks at whether the pattern fits your symptoms and history.
Sources: NIMH (nimh.nih.gov), NHS (nhs.uk), Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.org)
Is this right for you?
Our clinical team will assess whether this treatment fits your situation. Ask us at your initial consultation.
Book an AssessmentIs QEEG Right for You?
QEEG brain mapping may benefit people experiencing:
What your QEEG report contains
A QEEG assessment produces a written report, not just a picture. Your clinician goes through it with you rather than handing it over. It sets out:
The value is in the comparison. A single reading of your brain activity means little on its own. Measured against the range expected for your age, a pattern that is genuinely outside the norm becomes visible, and so does a pattern that is simply normal variation.
A QEEG does not diagnose on its own. It is one input to a clinical assessment, alongside your history and what your clinician observes.
Common questions
Is it uncomfortable?
No. A cap of sensors sits on the scalp and reads electrical activity that your brain is already producing. Nothing is sent into you. There are no needles and no radiation.
How long does it take?
Plan for the appointment to take around an hour including preparation. The recording itself is shorter: you sit still with your eyes open, then closed, and may be asked to do a simple task.
When do I get the results?
The raw recording is processed and analysed before your clinician can interpret it, so results are discussed at a follow-up rather than the same day. We confirm the turnaround with you when you book.
Do I need to stop my medication first?
Do not change or stop any medication before a QEEG. Tell us what you are taking when you book, and your clinician will advise. Medication can affect the reading, and that is accounted for in the interpretation.
Can children have a QEEG?
Yes. The assessment is non-invasive and is used in children, usually as part of a wider developmental or attention assessment through our Child & Adolescent team.
Will a QEEG tell me what is wrong with me?
It tells your clinician how your brain is functioning relative to age-matched norms. That is a piece of evidence, not a verdict. The diagnosis comes from the clinical assessment as a whole.
See what your brain is actually doing
A QEEG assessment gives your clinician something measured to work from, rather than inference alone.