Thanks to a recent donation made by a local family, the Health Services Authority is pleased to announce the resumption of electroencephalogram (EEG) testing at the Cayman Islands Hospital. EEG is a safe diagnostic test which records and detects abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain.Identifying a need for this service, the Billes family raised approximately $18,000 with the assistance of several community members for the purchase. The EEG machine was received and installed on 10 January, 2017.Family member Deirdre Billes stated, I would like to say thank you to those who contributed to this EEG donation back in November 2011, when I ran the Cayman Islands Marathon and raised $1575, under the name Project Brainstorm. Your contributions to my request to raise money helped to bring this project to fruition.The model purchased is a Neurovirtual BW11 EEG, which is a 25 channel, portable, computer-based machine convenient for use in the outpatient clinic area as well as on the inpatient units throughout the hospital.The machine will be used in the investigation of patients of all age groups, from newborns to elderly patients, with seizures, head injuries, brain tumors or in other instances where brain function needs to be assessed.Head of the Paediatric Department Dr Earl Robinson explained, Nerve cells of the brain are constantly producing electric signals which are then transmitted throughout the body. The electrodes of the EEG machine are affixed to the scalp and pick up these electric signals. The signals are then amplified, making them big enough to be displayed. The wave activity can then be stored on the computer, printed on paper, burnt on CD-ROM or even transmitted as a file remotely for reading/interpretation.The brain waves vary in different mind states (alertness, rest, sleep, dreaming) and different parts of the brain are stimulated during various activities (e.g. eye blinking, thinking, reading, watching TV). By observing and studying these wave patterns, the doctor can pick up any abnormal brain activity that can help him diagnose underlying conditions and therefore be in a better position to treat or manage appropriately, he added.We are grateful for this generous donation which reflects the Billes familys support and confidence in our efforts to continually raise the bar of excellence in the delivery of a first class medical service for the people of these islands. Their donation will help our team to provide an improved service to our patients, said HSAs Chief Executive Officer Lizzette Yearwood.