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Flash visual evoked potentials in preterm infants
Jing-Jing Feng1, Wei-Ping Wang1, Shu-Juan Guo1
1Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Flash visual evoked potentials (FVEPs) in preterm infants show similar maturation patterns to term infants. However, very low birth weight (VLBW) infants experience delayed visual electrophysiologic development up to 18 months.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Preterm infants, especially those with very low birth weight (VLBW) and low birth weight (LBW), may experience altered visual system development.
- Flash visual evoked potentials (FVEPs) are a valuable tool for assessing the functional maturation of the visual pathways in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the developmental trajectory of FVEPs in preterm infants from 1 to 18 months corrected age.
- To compare the FVEP maturation in preterm infants with that of term-born infants.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal follow-up study involving 20 VLBW, 42 LBW preterm infants, and 41 term infants.
- FVEP recordings and neurodevelopmental assessments (using Development Screen Test and Bayley Scales) were conducted at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months of corrected age.
- Analysis focused on P2 amplitude and P2 wave latency of FVEPs.
Main Results:
- The age-dependent decrease in FVEP P2 latency followed a similar pattern in preterm and term infants, with rapid decline in the first 6 months, gradual decline from 6-12 months, and steady reduction from 12-18 months.
- VLBW infants exhibited significantly prolonged P2 latencies at all time points compared to controls.
- LBW infants showed delayed P2 latencies at 1 and 3 months corrected age, with maturation becoming similar to controls by 3 months; however, VLBW infants' P2 latency maturation remained delayed until 18 months.
Conclusions:
- While the overall pattern of FVEP development is comparable between preterm and term infants, preterm infants, particularly VLBW infants, demonstrate deficits in visual electrophysiologic maturation.
- These findings highlight potential long-term visual pathway development differences in preterm infants, especially those born with very low birth weight.
Objective:
To describe the development of flash visual evoked potentials (FVEPs) in preterm infants from 1 to 18 months and to determine if the maturation of FVEPs is similar to that of term infants.
Design:
Longitudinal follow-up study.
Participants:
Twenty very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants, 42 low birth weight (LBW) preterm infants, and 41 term infants underwent FVEP recordings and neurodevelopmental examinations at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months of corrected and chronological ages.
Methods:
The FVEP recordings were carried out with the VikingQuest-IV neuroelectrophysiological device (VikingQuest, Nicolet, WI), and neurodevelopmental assessments were made by the Development Screen Test and Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition.
Main Outcome Measures:
At 1, 3, 6, and 9 months of age, neurodevelopment was measured with the Mental Index and Developmental Quotient. At 12 and 18 months, neurodevelopment was assessed using the Mental Developmental Index and Psychomotor Developmental Index. Two FVEP values were analyzed: the P2 amplitude (peak to peak from the preceding N2 wave) and the latency of the P2 wave.
Results:
There was no significant difference for age-dependent decreased pattern of FVEP P2 latency between preterm infants and the control group. This pattern consisted of a rapid decrease in the first 6 months of life, a gradual decline from 6 to 12 months of age, and a steady reduction from 12 to 18 months of age. The P2 latencies were prolonged significantly at all 6 recorded times in the VLBW group compared with the controls and showed a delay in the LBW group at 1 and 3 months of corrected age. The maturation of P2 latency in LBW infants is similar to that of the controls at 3 months of corrected age, but the maturation of P2 latency in VLBW children remained delayed when compared with the controls until 18 months of corrected age.
Conclusions:
Although the FVEP development pattern of preterm infants was similar to that of healthy full-term infants, the former had deficits in visual electrophysiologic maturation, especially for VLBW children.
