Neuroelectrophysiology Lab
An eight channel Grass electroencephalograph became available in the Department in 1952. The machine was inaugurated by Mr. A.B. Shetty, the then Health Minister of Madras on December 29, 1952. Dr. Baldev Singh who was deputed earlier to work with Dr. Gibbs in Chicago to gain experience in EEG had returned by then. We were also fortunate in getting Mr. K.K. George as EEG technician in 1952 (retired in 1987). He earlier had some experience in radio maintenance and in electronics. The introduction of EEG considerably facilitated the management of epilepsy patients. Addition of electrocorticographic facilities enabled the neurosurgeon to delineate the cortical foci in the operating room and thus plan resection in epilepsy surgery. EEG also helped in localisation or lateralisation of space occupying lesions. This helped in selecting the side for angiography when no clinical localisation was present. EEG recording equipment were gradually upgraded from analog systems to digital systems. In 1987 video telemetry EEG was started with a Telefactor system.
The department currently has four EEG machines for routine and one-hour telemetry, two machines for longer video telemetry (including Polysomnogram) and one portable EEG machine. There are four ENMG machines including one portable. The evoked potential system is used for visual, somato sensory and brainstem auditory evoked responses. There is an Autonomic Laboratory with tilt table and Finapres ® non-invasive continuous blood pressure and heart rate monitoring system. The lab has a Magstim ® transcranial magnetic stimulation system. A transcranial doppler system has also been acquired which is used both in the lab as well as in the Neuro ICU.
Electromyographic studies and nerve conduction studies became possible when a Medelec EMG machine was obtained in 1966. These have been upgraded periodically. Evoked potential studies started in real earnest when a Nicolet Pathfinder system was acquired in 1987. EEG, EMG and Evoked potentials are now a very busy service within the Department.
AHS Course
The Department has been having a CMAI Diploma course which started as a one year EEG technology course in 1974, for science graduates. In 1986, a second one year course was introduced in Clinical Neurophysiology, incorporating EMG and Evoked Potentials. These two courses were then integrated into a single two-year Diploma course, with 2 seats every year.
A three-year B.Sc. Neuro Electrophysiology under The T.N. Dr. M.G.R. Medical University Allied Health Sciences was started in 2012. This has five candidates every year.