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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol
Published on: February 18, 2012
Maturation of cerebral electrical activity and development of cortical folding in young very preterm infants
E Biagioni1, M F Frisone, S Laroche
1Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Insights
The study found that preterm infant brain electrical activity, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), correlates with cortical folding complexity and post-menstrual age (PMA). These relationships offer insights into early brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Early brain development in preterm infants is complex and not fully understood.
- Assessing neurodevelopmental trajectories in preterm neonates is crucial for identifying potential issues.
- Cortical development and cerebral electrical activity are key indicators of brain maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cortical development and cerebral electrical activity in preterm infants.
- To correlate electroencephalography (EEG) findings with structural brain development assessed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
- To understand maturational changes in the very preterm brain.
Main Methods:
- Acquired EEG and MR brain images from 17 infants with gestational age <30 weeks.
- Analyzed EEGs for discontinuity, delta brush, and sawtooth activities.
- Quantified cortical folding from MR scans using specialized software.
Main Results:
- Inter-burst interval on EEG shortened with increasing post-menstrual age (PMA) and cortical folding.
- Cortical folding increased with PMA.
- Delta brush was consistently observed, while temporal and occipital sawtooth activities decreased with increasing PMA and cortical complexity.
Conclusions:
- A positive correlation exists between some preterm neonatal EEG maturational features, cortical folding complexity, and PMA.
- The inter-burst interval showed a strong correlation with maturation, unlike regional sawtooth activities.
- Integrating neurophysiological and neuroimaging data provides valuable insights into preterm brain development.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between cortical development and cerebral electrical activity at early gestational ages.
Methods:
We obtained EEGs (7.2+/-3.8 days) and MR brain images (3.2+/-2.9 days) after birth in 17<30 week gestation infants without evidence of focal brain injury The EEGs were assessed for discontinuity and characteristic maturational features (delta brush, occipital and temporal sawtooth); cortical development was quantified from MR scans using a specially designed computer programme to measure cortical folding.
Results:
The inter-burst interval shortened and cortical folding increased with increasing post-menstrual age (PMA). In contrast, the minimum duration of bursts was independent of PMA and cortical folding. Delta brush (8-20 Hz activities) was seen at all PMAs; temporal and occipital sawtooth activities were always more prominent than delta brush but were seen less frequently with increasing PMA and complexity of cortical folding.
Conclusion:
There was a positive correlation between some but not all maturational features of the preterm neonatal EEG and the complexity of whole brain cortical folding and PMA. These relationships were strong for the inter-burst interval, a global measure of maturation, but not strongly seen for regional features such as occipital and temporal sawtooth within this gestational age range.
Significance:
Combining neurophysiological examination with detailed neuroimaging gives insights into developmental changes occurring in the very preterm brains and suggests further comparative studies focusing on measures of focal brain development at different gestational ages.
