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Regional electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral power and hemispheric coherence in young adults born at extremely low
Vladimir Miskovic1, Louis A Schmidt, Michael Boyle
1McMaster Institute for Neuroscience Discovery and Study, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., Canada L8S 4K1.
Insights
Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors show subtle brain differences in adulthood, with altered EEG patterns indicating potential maturational delays. These neurological abnormalities persist even in unimpaired individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) affects a significant number of newborns.
- Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for ELBW survivors are a critical area of research.
- Understanding the impact of early-life adversity on adult brain function is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) on adult brain functioning.
- To identify specific electroencephalogram (EEG) differences in young adults born at ELBW compared to normal birth weight (NBW) individuals.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 154 non-impaired young adults (mean age 23 years) was studied.
- Participants included 71 individuals born at ELBW (mean birth weight 874g, mean gestational age 27.5 weeks) and 83 controls born at normal birth weight (NBW).
- Regional EEG spectral power and hemispheric coherence were measured at baseline.
Main Results:
- ELBW adults showed significantly higher power in low EEG frequency bands (delta, theta) and lower power in high bands (alpha, beta) compared to NBW adults.
- These frequency differences were particularly pronounced in frontal brain regions.
- ELBW adults also exhibited increased short-distance EEG coherence in the right hemisphere.
Conclusions:
- Subtle neurological abnormalities may persist into adulthood for ELBW survivors, even in the absence of overt impairments.
- The findings suggest potential long-lasting brain maturational delays associated with extremely low birth weight.
- This study provides a unique EEG profile characterizing young adult survivors of ELBW.
Objectives:
We examined the effects of extremely low birth weight (ELBW<1000 g) on adult brain functioning.
Methods:
We measured baseline regional EEG spectral power and hemispheric coherence in a cohort of 154 (M age=23 years) non-impaired young adults who were born at ELBW (n=71; M birth weight=874 g, M gestation age=27.5 weeks) and in a control group of full-term adults born at normal birth weight (NBW; n=83).
Results:
ELBW adults exhibited significantly more power in the low EEG frequency bands (delta and theta) and less in the high EEG frequency bands (alpha and beta) than the NBW adults. This relative difference in the amount of high to low-frequency power was especially salient in the frontal regions. ELBW adults also exhibited significantly more short-distance EEG coherence in the right hemisphere compared to the NBW adults.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that even among ELBW survivors without impairments, adverse events early in life may result in subtle neurological abnormalities.
Significance:
This study provides a unique EEG profile of young adult survivors of ELBW showing that maturational delays of the brain may persist into late adolescence and emerging adulthood.
