Possibilities and limits of the method
EchoEG is a fast screening method without radiation. It shows a displacement of the midline structures of the brain, which indirectly indicates a volumetric process, hematoma or severe edema, and allows one to evaluate signs of increased intracranial pressure. The method is used for headaches, dizziness, after a head injury and as an initial assessment before referral for a CT or MRI. However, it does not replace tomography: only it provides a detailed picture.
What is functional diagnostics
Functional diagnostics evaluates not the structure of an organ, but its work: how the heart contracts, how a nerve impulse is conducted, how pressure changes during the day, how much air passes through the bronchi.
These methods complement ultrasound and tomography: structural studies show how the organ looks, and functional studies show how it copes with its task. Many rhythm disturbances, ischemia and epileptic activity are detected only here.
Basic methods
- ECG - basic recording of the electrical activity of the heart
- Holter monitoring - continuous ECG recording throughout the day
- ABPM - 24-hour blood pressure monitoring
- stress tests (treadmill test) - assessment of the heart during physical activity
- EEG - registration of bioelectrical activity of the brain
- spirometry - study of respiratory function
Why is a one-time entry not enough?
Many disorders are transient: arrhythmia occurs several times a day, ischemia occurs only during exercise, and pressure increases occur at night or at work. A regular ECG lasts tens of seconds and easily misses such episodes, so 24-hour monitoring or exercise tests are prescribed.