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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Electrophysiological Measurement of Noxious-evoked Brain Activity in Neonates Using a Flat-tip Probe Coupled to Electroencephalography
Published on: November 29, 2017
Non-invasive detection and identification of brain activity patterns in the developing fetus
Hari Eswaran1, Naim I Haddad, Bashir S Shihabuddin
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Slot 518, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. eswaranhari@uams.edu
Objective:
Utilizing a MEG-based device specifically designed to study the fetus, we investigated the presence of salient patterns in spontaneous fetal brain activity.
Methods:
We performed 91 MEG recordings from 30 fetuses at various gestational ages. The tracings were evaluated and compared to the well-established electroencephalographic (EEG) features in premature infants. Also, we looked at the correlation of the gestational age (GA) on the occurrence of these patterns and complexes.
Results:
We were able to identify specific patterns and track changes in fetal brain activity starting at 28 weeks of gestation. The patterns and trends were similar to the established EEG features in premature infants at comparable ages. Of the 30 fetuses, 18 (60%) had at least one recording with discontinuity, 7 (23%) had sharp transients, and 8 (27%) had delta brush activity. Further there was a decrease in the presence of discontinuous patterns after 35 weeks.
Conclusions:
We have shown that fetal spontaneous brain activity features can be recorded and identified using MEG technique. The observation of more discontinuity at early gestational ages is consistent with the overall pattern of maturation seen in EEGs of premature infants.
Significance:
With refinements, this method can aid in understanding the maturation process of fetal brain activity and further develop as a tool for fetal neurological evaluation.
