High-frequency oscillations recorded with surface EEG in neonates with seizures

Neonatal seizures are often the first symptom of perinatal brain injury. High-frequency oscillations (HFOs) are promising new biomarkers for epileptogenic tissue and can be found in intracranial and surface EEG. To date, we cannot reliably predict which neonates with seizures will develop childhood epilepsy. We questioned whether epileptic HFOs can be generated by the neonatal brain and potentially predict epilepsy.

We selected 24 surface EEGs sampled at 2048 Hz with 175 seizures from 16 neonates and visually reviewed them for HFOs. Interictal epochs were also reviewed.

We found HFOs in thirteen seizures (7%) from four neonates (25%). 5025 ictal ripples (rate 10 to 1311/min; mean frequency 135 Hz; mean duration 66 ms) and 1427 fast ripples (rate 8 to 356/min; mean frequency 298 Hz; mean duration 25 ms) were marked. Two neonates (13%) showed interictal HFOs (285 ripples and 25 fast ripples). Almost all HFOs co-occurred with sharp transients. We could not find a relationship between neonatal HFOs and outcome yet.

Neonatal HFOs co-occur with ictal and interictal sharp transients.

The neonatal brain can generate epileptic ripples and fast ripples, particularly during seizures, though their occurrence is not common and potential clinical value not evident yet.