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Published on: September 6, 2017
EEG at 6 weeks of life in very premature neonates
Daniele Selton1, Monique André, Chantal Debruille
1Service de Néonatologie, Maternité Régionale Universitaire, 10 rue du Docteur Heydenreich, 54042 Nancy, France. d.selton@maternite.chu-nancy.fr
Insights
Electroencephalography (EEG) at six weeks can predict neurological issues in very premature infants. Abnormal EEG patterns, like dysmature or disorganized brain activity, correlate with later developmental problems.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Developmental neuroscience
- Clinical electrophysiology
Background:
- Very premature infants face risks of neurodevelopmental impairment.
- Early identification of neurological risk is crucial for timely intervention.
- Standard assessments like cranial ultrasound may not capture all risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze electroencephalography (EEG) findings in very premature infants at six weeks of life.
- To identify chronic-stage EEG abnormalities, specifically dysmature and disorganized patterns.
- To correlate these EEG findings with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months corrected age.
Main Methods:
- Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings were performed at six weeks of life.
- The study included very premature infants (<29 weeks gestational age or <1000g birth weight).
- EEG results were correlated with psychomotor and sensorial assessments at 12-month corrected age.
Main Results:
- Abnormal EEGs were found in 28 of 58 infants, including dysmature, disorganized, or combined patterns.
- Fifteen infants with abnormal EEGs showed neurological abnormalities at 12 months.
- Infants with normal EEGs at six weeks had no significant motor or cognitive impairments (p<0.0001).
Conclusions:
- EEG at six weeks of age is a valuable tool for refining neurological risk assessment in very premature neonates.
- EEG findings at this stage can serve as a predictive indicator, complementing early EEG and cranial ultrasound.
- Identifying specific EEG patterns like dysmaturity and disorganization aids in predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Objective:
To analyze EEG findings, especially chronic-stage EEG abnormalities, i.e., dysmature and disorganized patterns, during the late neonatal period in very premature infants without severe early cranial ultrasound and/or EEG abnormalities.
Methods:
EEGs were recorded at 6 weeks of life in very immature or hypotrophic premature infants (less than 29 weeks gestational age or less than 1000 g at birth). EEG findings were correlated with the children's psychomotor and sensorial assessment at 12-month corrected age.
Results:
Fifty-eight infants were studied. Abnormal EEGs were observed in 28 infants: 7 infants with dysmature EEGs, 13 infants with disorganized EEGs, and 8 infants with dysmature-disorganized EEGs. At 12-month corrected age, 15 of 28 infants had various neurological abnormalities. Normal EEGs were observed in 30 infants. None of these infants showed any marked motor or cognitive impairment. The neurological abnormality difference between these two groups of infants was highly significant (p<0.0001).
Conclusion:
At 6 weeks of life, EEG may be helpful in refining neurological risk in very premature neonates.
Significance:
EEGs recorded at 6 weeks of age may be a valuable predictive tool in addition to early EEG and cranial ultrasound.
