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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Electroencephalography and brain damage in preterm infants
Lena Hellström-Westas1, Ingmar Rosén
1Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. lena.westas@skane.se
Insights
Electroencephalography (EEG) detects brain injury in preterm infants, correlating with later function. Combining early continuous and later full EEG monitoring offers optimal diagnosis of brain damage.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neonatology
- Clinical Neurophysiology
Background:
- Electroencephalography (EEG) is a sensitive tool for detecting brain injury in preterm infants.
- EEG changes, while often non-specific, correlate with neurological and cognitive outcomes.
- White matter damage in preterm infants is associated with specific acute and chronic EEG abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of EEG in detecting and characterizing brain injury in preterm infants.
- To correlate EEG findings with neurological and cognitive development.
- To determine the optimal EEG monitoring strategy for diagnosing brain damage in this population.
Main Methods:
- Continuous EEG monitoring during neonatal intensive care.
- Standard EEG recordings at later stages.
- Analysis of EEG patterns including background activity, epileptic activity, and specific waveform occurrences (e.g., Rolandic sharp waves).
Main Results:
- Acute EEG findings in white matter damage include depressed background activity and seizures.
- Chronic changes associated with white matter injury and abnormal development include delayed maturation and abundant Rolandic sharp waves.
- Cognitive limitations are linked to sleep measure alterations in full-term EEGs.
Conclusions:
- EEG is a sensitive indicator of brain injury in preterm infants, with changes correlating to long-term function.
- Optimal diagnosis of brain damage likely requires a combination of early continuous and later full EEG monitoring.
- Extracerebral factors significantly influence cerebral electrical activity in preterm neonates.
Abstract:
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a sensitive method for detection of brain injury in preterm infants. Although the acute and chronic EEG changes are mainly non-specific regarding type of damage, they correlate with later neurological and cognitive function. In infants developing brain white matter damage, acute EEG findings include depression of background activity and presence of epileptic seizure activity. The chronic EEG changes associated with white matter injury and abnormal neurological development include delayed maturation, and presence of abundant Rolandic sharp waves. Cognitive limitations in preterm infants have been associated with changes in various sleep measures in EEG's recorded at full term. Continuous EEG-monitoring during neonatal intensive care shows that cerebral electrical activity during this vulnerable period can be affected by several extracerebral factors, e.g. cerebral blood flow, acidosis and some commonly used medications. For diagnosis of brain damage in preterm infants with neurophysiological methods, a combination of early continuous EEG monitoring during the initial intensive care period and full EEG, performed at later stages, is probably optimal.
