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Published on: November 29, 2017
Neonatal and fetal response decrement of evoked responses: a MEG study
Carolin J Sheridan1, Hubert Preissl, Eric R Siegel
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Slot # 518, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. carolin.sheridan@gmail.com
Insights
Visual evoked responses (VER) show amplitude decrements and latency increases in newborns, indicating brain function. This method, with limitations, also shows promise for assessing fetal brain development non-invasively.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Assessing neonatal and prenatal brain development is crucial for early detection of deficits.
- Visual evoked responses (VER) offer a non-invasive method to evaluate neural function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate response decrements in newborn VERs.
- To assess the applicability of VER paradigms to fetuses using magnetoencephalography (MEG).
Main Methods:
- VERs were recorded in 12 newborns (6-22 days old) and 25 fetuses (29-37 weeks GA).
- Stimulation involved trains of four light flashes with specific interstimulus intervals and rest periods.
Main Results:
- Nine newborns showed significant VER amplitude decrements and increased latency.
- Prenatal VER rate was 29%, but fetuses exhibited response decrements after initial stimulation.
Conclusions:
- VER amplitude decrements are observable in newborns and, with limitations, in fetuses.
- This paradigm may aid in non-invasive assessment of neonatal and prenatal brain development and CNS functioning.
- The method could be a first step towards early detection of developmental deficits.
Objective:
To investigate the response decrements of visual evoked responses (VER) in newborns and assess the applicability of this paradigm to fetuses in magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings.
Methods:
Twelve newborns with no known risks or complications participated at chronological ages between 6 and 22days. They constituted the follow-up group to a prenatal study conducted on a sample of 25 fetuses whose gestational age (GA) varied between 29 and 37weeks at the time of recording. Trains of four light flashes with an interstimulus interval of 2s followed by 10s without stimulation were delivered to record VER.
Results:
Nine of the 12 newborns responded to the stimulation and showed response decrements in amplitude from the first to the last light flash. Furthermore, the response latency increased significantly from the first to the last stimulus. The remaining three recordings were discontinued early. Even though the prenatal visual evoked response rate was only 29%, the fetuses exhibited a response decrement after the first stimulus.
Conclusions:
The amplitude of VERs can be used to elicit a response decrement in newborns and, with limitations, even in fetuses. This paradigm might be a useful tool for a direct non-invasive assessment of neonatal and prenatal brain development and CNS functioning.
Significance:
The proposed method might be a first step towards an early detection of developmental deficits in newborns and fetuses.
