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Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Mouse Models of Periventricular Leukomalacia
Published on: May 18, 2010
Sharp waves in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia
Ayako Sofue1, Akihisa Okumura, Fumio Hayakawa
1Department of Pediatrics, Okazaki City Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Insights
Digital electroencephalography analysis revealed more sharp transients in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia. Using a higher low-cut filter aids in assessing these sharp transients in neonatal electroencephalography.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Neurophysiology
- Pediatric electroencephalography
Background:
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a significant cause of neurological impairment in preterm infants.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) is crucial for monitoring brain activity in neonates.
- Identifying subtle EEG abnormalities is vital for early diagnosis and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence of positive and negative sharp waves in twin infants with PVL compared to their healthy co-twins.
- To evaluate the utility of digital EEG analysis with specific filtering techniques for detecting sharp transients.
Main Methods:
- Serial digital electroencephalograms (EEGs) were performed on twin infants with and without PVL.
- EEG analysis utilized remontage and refiltering functions, changing from bipolar to monopolar derivation and increasing the low-cut filter to 5 Hz.
- Positive and negative sharp waves (>50 microV) were quantified per minute in specific brain regions.
Main Results:
- Infants with PVL exhibited a higher number of negative sharp waves in occipital and Pz areas.
- Positive sharp waves were more prevalent in the Cz area in infants with PVL.
- Disorganized EEG patterns were consistently observed in infants with PVL upon visual inspection.
Conclusions:
- Digital EEG analysis, particularly with remontage and refiltering, effectively demonstrates an increased incidence of sharp transients in preterm infants with PVL.
- Employing a higher low-cut filter (5 Hz) enhances the assessment of sharp transients in neonatal EEG, aiding in the detection of subtle abnormalities associated with PVL.
Abstract:
We studied the incidence of positive and negative sharp waves in two pairs of twin infants with periventricular leukomalacia and compared it with that of normal cotwins by using remontage and refiltering functions of digital electroencephalography. Three electroencephalograms were serially performed in each infant. After the usual visual inspection with bipolar montage and low-cut filter of 0.5 Hz, the electroencephalogram montage was changed into monopolar derivation, and the low-cut filter into 5 Hz. The number of positive or negative sharp waves per minute, with an amplitude of more than 50 microV, was independently calculated. The number of negative sharp waves was large in the occipital and Pz areas in both infants with periventricular leukomalacia. The number of positive ones was large in the Cz area in both infants with periventricular leukomalacia. Disorganized patterns were observed in all electroencephalograms in the infants with periventricular leukomalacia on visual inspection. In conclusion, digital electroencephalography analysis using remontage and refiltering demonstrated an increased number of sharp transients in preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia. The application of a higher low-cut filter will be useful for the assessment of sharp transients in neonatal electroencephalography.
