Neonatal electroencephalography: review of a practical approach

Neonatal electroencephalography (EEG) recordings have routinely been performed for more than half a century. ''Old'' technical difficulties are no longer of concern with the advent of modern digital technology. Still, many ''old'' issues are at debate: characterization of neonatal EEG features, identification of EEG waveforms with potential clinical correlates, the role of neonatal EEG in prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome, and use of new devices. In the past decades, neonatal EEG and emerging issues' literature has greatly expanded. In this review, the authors have summarized some of these issues to increase the availability of the information for both clinical and research purposes. They propose an up-to-date concentrated practical approach to this rapidly expanding ''subfield'' of neonatal neurology.