Sleep Electroencephalogram in Infants Born Moderate to Late Preterm and Association with Subsequent Neurodevelopment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Preterm birth is associated with altered neurodevelopmental trajectories.
• Sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns are sensitive indicators of brain maturation and organization.
• Understanding sleep EEG differences in preterm infants can provide insights into early brain development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare sleep EEG patterns between moderate to late preterm (MLP) and full-term infants at 4 months corrected age.
• To investigate the association between sleep EEG features and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes in both groups.

Main Methods:

• Sleep EEG was recorded in MLP and full-term infants at 4 months corrected age.
• Sleep macrostructure, spectral power, and coherence were analyzed.
• Neurodevelopment was assessed at 18 months corrected age using the Griffiths III developmental assessment.

Main Results:

• MLP infants exhibited shorter stage N2 sleep duration and altered non-REM (NREM) spectral power (delta 1 and delta 2) compared to full-term infants.
• NREM delta 1 and delta 2 spectral power were positively associated with personal-social-emotional and gross motor development.
• Coherence parameters also showed correlations with Griffiths III subscales.

Conclusions:

• Infants born MLP demonstrate distinct sleep EEG biomarkers at 4 months corrected age compared to full-term infants.
• These findings suggest early differences in brain organization and function in MLP infants.
• Sleep EEG may serve as a potential biomarker for tracking brain maturation and predicting neurodevelopmental trends.