P.076 Quantitative EEG in Canada: a national technologist survey

Abstract

Background: Burgeoning EEG demand has largely gone unmet with insufficient supply of manpower and equipment. Quantitative EEG (QEEG) may help compress large volumes of data for expedited review. We sought to determine the current use of QEEG in Canada through a national EEG technologist survey. Methods: A 10-item questionnaire was administered to participants at the 2016 meeting of the Canadian Association of Electroneurophysiology Technologists, which occurred in parallel with the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation meeting. Results: A response rate of 63% (14/22) represented 12 institutions (11 adult, 6 paediatric) over six provinces with 73% of the national population. Only academic institutions (9/12) used QEEG, representing five provinces with 70% of the national population. Most institutions generated QEEG either real-time or retrospectively in the critical care and epilepsy monitoring units for long-term monitoring and automated seizure detection. The most used trends were spectrographic, seizure detection, and artifact detection. Montage use, QEEG duration, and timebase settings were highly variable. Conclusions: QEEG is in surprisingly frequent use across Canada. There is no consensus on optimal QEEG use, which mirrors uncertainty in the literature. The relative ubiquity of QEEG in Canada offers promise for collaborative multicentre research into unlocking the full potential of QEEG in enhancing patient care.