Neurovascular Interactions in the Neurologically Compromised Neonatal Brain

Area of Science:

• Neonatal neurology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Neurological brain injuries like hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) and seizures are linked to adverse developmental outcomes in neonates.
• Limited understanding of the neurological and cerebrovascular mechanisms of seizures hinders diagnosis and treatment.
• Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) offers insights into haemodynamic changes (deoxygenated/oxygenated hemoglobin) crucial for understanding seizures and neurovascular coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neurovascular processes underlying seizures in neonates with HIE.
• To explore the utility of simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and DOT for studying neonatal seizures.
• To analyze the temporal correlation between electrographic seizures and haemodynamic changes.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous recording of electroencephalography (EEG) and diffuse optical tomography (DOT) data.
• Acquisition of DOT-EEG data from two neonates diagnosed with HIE.
• Analysis of haemodynamic changes (de/oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations) in relation to electrographic seizure activity.

Main Results:

• Distinct haemodynamic changes were observed using DOT.
• These haemodynamic changes were temporally correlated with electrographic seizures detected by EEG.
• The study successfully acquired mutually informative DOT-EEG data from HIE neonates.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous DOT-EEG is a valuable technique for studying neurovascular coupling in HIE neonates.
• The findings provide insights into the haemodynamic changes associated with seizures in this population.
• This approach can improve the understanding and potential management of seizures in neonatal HIE.