Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Application of an Amplitude-integrated EEG Monitor (Cerebral Function Monitor) to Neonates
Published on: September 6, 2017
Exploring state changes/sleep-wake cycling in mechanically ventilated children using amplitude-integrated EEG
Douwe van der Steen1, Alette A Koopman1, Eline Oppersma2
1Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Critical Care Medicine, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Groningen, the University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Insights
Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) shows sleep-wake cycling in critically ill children. Reduced cycling in these children indicates higher mortality, suggesting aEEG
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Neurophysiology
- Sleep science
Background:
- Critically ill children experience sleep disruption due to various factors.
- Continuous sleep monitoring is needed for this population.
- Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) may offer insights into sleep patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize aEEG background patterns.
- To analyze aEEG state changes and sleep-wake cycling (SWC) in mechanically ventilated critically ill children.
Main Methods:
- EEG signals were transformed into aEEG.
- Analysis included 3-hour epochs, with a maximum of 10 epochs per patient.
- aEEG recordings were stratified by background patterns and SWC.
Main Results:
- Analysis included 721 epochs from 118 children (median age 4.5 months).
- Continuous normal voltage aEEG was observed in over 80% of epochs.
- Reduced SWC on aEEG correlated with higher mortality.
Conclusions:
- Most critically ill children demonstrated aEEG evidence of SWC.
- aEEG is a promising tool for continuous sleep monitoring in pediatric intensive care.
Objective:
Critically ill children face multiple factors that disrupt sleep. There is a need for a continuous tool for monitoring sleep in critically ill children. Quantitative EEG parameters such as the amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) may provide insights into sleep patterns. We wanted to characterize aEEG for background pattern and aEEG state changes/sleep-wake cycling (SWC) during mechanical ventilation in a cohort of critically ill children.
Methods:
EEG signals were recorded and transformed into aEEG. We created 3-hrs epochs and analysed a maximum of 10 data epochs for each patient. aEEG recordings were stratified by background patterns and sleep-wake cycling.
Results:
Seven-hundred-and-twenty-one epochs from 118 mechanically ventilated critically ill children with a median age of 4.5 months were available for analysis. Continuous normal voltage was observed in > 80 % of the epochs. Signal amplitude increased after two months of age, with amplitudes comparable to healthy awake children. aEEG state changes/SWC occurrence increased during intensive care stay, while reduced aEEG state changes/SWC was associated with higher mortality.
Conclusion:
Most subjects showed aEEG evidence of aEEG state changes/SWC. The amplitude of the EEG in critically ill children was lower than that in healthy children.
Significance:
aEEG could be a promising modality for continuous sleep monitoring in critically ill children.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:24Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
01:23Brain Waves