Neonatal magnetoencephalography and spectral analysis

We performed a prospective study of neonatal brain function on 44 respective term neonates who were delivered normally, without any clinical signs of brain damage. Thirty were associated with a normal pregnancy and labor with normal values of Apgar scores, umbilical cord pH and birth weight, while 14 neonates were the result of pre-eclamptic pregnancy.

Biomagnetic measurements were performed by means of a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) in an electrically shielded room of low magnetic noise. Biomagnetic signals (waveforms) recorded from neonatal brains in the frequency range of 2-7 Hz were expressed in terms of magnetic power spectral amplitudes. These were low (mean value 163.2, SD 22.57) in almost all neonates from the "normal pregnancy" group, while they were high (mean value 211.6, SD 37.74) in most neonates from the "pre-eclamptic" group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (Student's t-test, p < 0.005).

A statistically significant difference in spectral amplitudes of neonatal brain activity was observed between normal term neonates and the pre-eclamptic neonates. Biomagnetic measurements of neonatal brain activity could provide clinical practice with a promising procedure for assessing brain function.