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Interburst interval measurements in the EEGs of premature infants with normal neurological outcome
J S Hahn1, H Monyer, B R Tharp
1Department of Neurology, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305.
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Interburst intervals (IBIs) in premature infants
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Neurophysiology
- Developmental neuroscience
Background:
- Interburst intervals (IBIs) are quiescent periods in premature infant electroencephalograms (EEGs).
- Previous studies suggest IBIs shorten with increasing conceptional age (CA), but systemic data from large infant cohorts with long-term follow-up is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate Interburst interval (IBI) duration in a large cohort of normal premature infants.
- To correlate IBI duration with conceptional age (CA) and assess the impact of clinical factors.
Main Methods:
- Measured IBIs using defined criteria in 104 multichannel routine EEGs from 36 premature infants.
- Calculated mean and maximum IBIs.
- Assessed the longest period of continuous activity.
Main Results:
- IBI duration showed a decreasing trend with increasing conceptional age (CA).
- Less restrictive IBI criteria revealed trends consistent with prior research.
- Mild clinical conditions did not significantly alter IBI durations.
- Longest continuous activity periods increased with CA.
Conclusions:
- IBI duration in premature infants generally decreases with increasing conceptional age (CA).
- IBI measurement criteria influence observed trends.
- IBI duration is robust to several common mild clinical complications in premature infants.
Abstract:
Interburst intervals (IBIs) are quiescent periods of cerebral activity, which normally occur in the electroencephalograms (EEGs) of premature infants. Although it is generally felt that the duration of these intervals shorten with increasing conceptional age (CA), no systemic studies of IBIs have been done in a large group of normal premature infants with long-term follow-up and using multichannel routine EEGs. In this study, we measured the IBIs, using defined criteria, in 36 premature infants who were normal at 3 years. The IBIs were measured in 104 EEGs, obtained from these infants, using standard recording techniques. Mean and the maximum IBIs were calculated. IBI duration decreased with increasing CA, although this trend was not very prominent when very restrictive criteria for measurement of IBI length were used. Less restrictive criteria for defining an IBI led to trends which are similar to those of previous studies. Various clinical factors, such as mild encephalopathies, small intraventricular/subependymal hemorrhages, mild bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or patent ductus arteriosus did not significantly alter IBI durations. Comparison with other techniques of IBI measurement and recording are discussed. The longest period of continuous activity during a routine recording was also measured and was found to increase with increasing CA.