Expect electrodes attached to your scalp, then a repeated stimulus depending on which pathway is tested: a patterned screen for vision, clicks through headphones for hearing, or small pulses at the wrist or ankle. You stay still and the responses are averaged.
Expect electrodes attached to your scalp, then a repeated stimulus depending on which pathway is tested: a patterned screen for vision, clicks through headphones for hearing, or small pulses at the wrist or ankle. You stay still and the responses are averaged.
Your head is measured and electrode positions marked, the scalp is prepared, and electrodes are attached with paste. Long, thick or product-laden hair lengthens this considerably, which is why the instruction to wash without conditioner matters. For somatosensory studies additional electrodes go on the limb being stimulated. You are then positioned comfortably, because holding reasonably still improves the recording and you may be there for a while.
For visual studies you look at a fixed point on a screen showing a shifting chequerboard pattern, one eye at a time, wearing your usual distance glasses. It requires sustained concentration and many people find it tiring on the eyes. For auditory studies you hear repeated clicks through headphones, often while relaxed or dozing, which is fine. For somatosensory studies small electrical pulses are delivered at the wrist or ankle, similar to nerve conduction but usually gentler.
An individual response is far too small to distinguish from ordinary background brain activity, so the study delivers the same stimulus many times and averages the recordings until the response emerges. That averaging is inherent to the technique rather than a sign of difficulty. There is no sedation, so you drive yourself home. A mild headache or tired eyes after the visual study is common. Both CNS offices perform these studies. One last practical point: bring something to occupy you if there is a wait between pathways being tested, since the setup for each is separate. And tell the technologist if you need a break, because holding a fixed gaze for extended periods is genuinely tiring and a short pause improves the recording rather than compromising it.
Clinical Neurology Specialists has been physician-owned since 1998, when Leo Germin, M.D., FAANEM founded it. Five board-certified neurologists and four advanced practice providers see patients at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices, each with its own AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratory.
Clinical Neurology Specialists is an adult outpatient neurology practice for patients 18 and older. The practice performs no surgery and operates no imaging suite, infusion suite or interventional pain programme, and provides no emergency or inpatient care.
Physician-reviewed. Reviewed by the physicians of Clinical Neurology Specialists — board-certified neurologists, AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratories, physician-owned since 1998. Reviewed 1 August 2026. This article is general education for adults 18 and older and is not a substitute for a consultation.
Sources and further reading: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; American Academy of Neurology; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
Adults 18 and older, at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices. Call 702-804-1212 or request an appointment online.