Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Neural Eng 2018 Dec 22;15(6):066006. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), STADIUS Center for Dynamical Systems, Signal Processing and Data Analytics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. imec, Leuven, Belgium.

Objective: Neonates spend most of their time asleep. Sleep of preterm infants evolves rapidly throughout maturation and plays an important role in brain development. Since visual labelling of the sleep stages is a time consuming task, automated analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) to identify sleep stages is of great interest to clinicians. Read More

BMJ Open 2017 Dec 3;7(12):e018084. Epub 2017 Dec 3.

Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.

Introduction: Preterm and very low birthweight infants are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including cerebral palsy, sensory impairment and intellectual disability. Several early intervention approaches have been designed in the hope of optimising neurological development in this context. It seems important that the intervention takes into account parental mental health, focuses on parent-child interactions and lasts sufficiently long. Read More

Pediatr Neurol 2017 Dec 4;77:54-60.e1. Epub 2017 May 4.

Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain.

Background: What constitutes a "normal" background electroencephalography (EEG) rhythm immediately after birth is not well understood. We performed video-electroencephalography recordings in the first six hours (first measure) and the third day of life (second measure) for evidence of transient changes in brain function.

Methods: We performed a cohort study of an incidental sample of healthy term neonates in a single-center nursery. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2017 Nov;34(6):484-491

*Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, APHP, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France; †INSERM U1129, Paris, France; ‡Paris Descartes University, Paris, France; §CEA, Gif sur Yvette, France; and ‖Department of Neonatology, APHP, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France.

Purpose: Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus is a common nonepileptic condition occurring in neurologically normal full-term newborns. During jerks, EEG has always been described as normal. The aim of this study was to describe EEG changes associated with the myoclonic jerks. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2017 10 12;113:87-103. Epub 2017 Jul 12.

Department of Development and Regeneration, University Hospitals Leuven, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address:

Neonatal sleep is a crucial state that involves endogenous driven brain activity, important for neuronal survival and guidance of brain networks. Sequential EEG-sleep analysis in preterm infants provides insights into functional brain integrity and can document deviations of the biologically pre-programmed process of sleep ontogenesis during the neonatal period. Visual assessment of neonatal sleep-EEG, with integration of both cerebral and non-cerebral measures to better define neonatal state, is still considered the gold standard. Read More

J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2017 Dec 15;58(12):1351-1359. Epub 2017 May 15.

Neonatology Department, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.

Background: Evolution preserves social attention due to its key role in supporting survival. Humans are attracted to social cues from infancy, but the neurobiological mechanisms for the development of social attention are unknown. An evolutionary-based, vertical-hierarchical theoretical model of self-regulation suggests that neonatal brainstem inputs are key for the development of well-regulated social attention. Read More

Med Eng Phys 2017 07 18;45:42-50. Epub 2017 Apr 18.

Neonatal Brain Research Group, Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address:

Aim: To develop a method that segments preterm EEG into bursts and inter-bursts by extracting and combining multiple EEG features.

Methods: Two EEG experts annotated bursts in individual EEG channels for 36 preterm infants with gestational age < 30 weeks. The feature set included spectral, amplitude, and frequency-weighted energy features. Read More

Seizure 2017 Apr 2;47:13-16. Epub 2017 Mar 2.

Division of Neurology, CHU Sainte Justine, Department of Neurosciences and Paediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address:

Purpose: Seizures are common in critically ill neonates. Both seizures and antiepileptic treatments may lead to short term complications and worsen the outcomes. Predicting the risks of seizure reoccurrence could enable individual treatment regimens and better outcomes. Read More

Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2017 Sep 27;102(5):F383-F388. Epub 2017 Jan 27.

Department of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Elevated carbon dioxide (CO) blood levels have a depressant effect on the central nervous system and can lead to coma in adults. Less is known about the effect of CO on the neurological function of infants.

Objective: To describe the effect of acute severe hypercapnia (PaCO >70 mm Hg) on amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) and cerebral oxygenation in newborn infants. Read More

Pediatr Crit Care Med 2017 01;18(1):64-72

1Ruth D. & Ken M. Davee Pediatric Neurocritical Care Program, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.2Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.3Division of Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.4Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.

Objective: Spectral electroencephalogram analysis is a method for automated analysis of electroencephalogram patterns, which can be performed at the bedside. We sought to determine the utility of spectral electroencephalogram for grading hepatic encephalopathy in children with acute liver failure.

Design: Retrospective cohort study. Read More

Epilepsia 2016 09 13;57(9):1426-35. Epub 2016 Jul 13.

Clinical Neurophysiology and Epileptology Department, APHM, Timone Hospital, Marseille, France.

Objectives: The study of intracerebral electroencephalography (EEG) seizure-onset patterns is crucial to accurately define the epileptogenic zone and guide successful surgical resection. It also raises important pathophysiologic issues concerning mechanisms of seizure generation. Until now, several seizure-onset patterns have been described using distinct recording methods (subdural, depth electrode), mostly in temporal lobe epilepsies or with heterogeneous neocortical lesions. Read More

Clin EEG Neurosci 2017 Mar 10;48(2):146-154. Epub 2016 Jul 10.

1 Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.

Objective: To compare amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) and conventional EEG (EEG) activity in premature neonates.

Methods: Biweekly aEEG and EEG were simultaneously recorded in a cohort of infants born less than 34 weeks gestation. aEEG recordings were visually assessed for lower and upper border amplitude and bandwidth. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2016 08 16;127(8):2910-2918. Epub 2016 Apr 16.

Neonatal Brain Research Group, Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research, University College Cork, Ireland; Clinicum, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address:

Objective: To develop an automated estimate of EEG maturational age (EMA) for preterm neonates.

Methods: The EMA estimator was based on the analysis of hourly epochs of EEG from 49 neonates with gestational age (GA) ranging from 23 to 32weeks. Neonates had appropriate EEG for GA based on visual interpretation of the EEG. Read More

Neuropsychologia 2016 Apr 4;84:89-104. Epub 2016 Feb 4.

Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Norway.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) was used to investigate brain electrical activity of full-term and preterm infants at 4 and 12 months of age as a functional response mechanism to structured optic flow and random visual motion. EEG data were recorded with an array of 128-channel sensors. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and temporal spectral evolution (TSE, time-dependent amplitude changes) were analysed. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2016 Apr 18;127(4):2087-94. Epub 2015 Dec 18.

Division of Neurology, CHU Sainte Justine, Department of Neurosciences and Paediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Canada.

Objective: To investigate how rewarming impacts the evolution of EEG background in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH).

Methods: We recruited a retrospective cohort of 15 consecutive newborns with moderate (9) and severe (6) HIE monitored with a continuous EEG during TH and at least 12h after its end. EEG background was analyzed using conventional visual and quantitative EEG analysis methods including EEG discontinuity, absolute and relative spectral magnitudes. Read More

J Pediatr Neurosci 2015 Apr-Jun;10(2):103-7

Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, 35340, Inciraltı, Izmir, Turkey.

Context: Brain injuries occurring at a particular time may cause damages in well-defined regions of brain. Perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and hypoglycemia are some of the most common types of brain injuries. Neonatal hypoglycemia can cause abnormal myelination in parietal and occipital lobes resulting in parieto-occipital encephalomalacia. Read More

Vision Res 2015 Jul 12;112:1-10. Epub 2015 May 12.

Research Centre in Neuropsychology and Cognition, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Research Centre, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address:

To date, very little is known about the normal development trajectory of visual texture segregation, or how it is affected by preterm birth. The goal of this study was to characterize the development of visual texture segregation using texture segregation visual evoked potentials (tsVEPs) in children born full-term and children born preterm without major neurological impairment. Forty-five full-term and 43 preterm children were tested at either 12, 24 or 36 months of age (corrected age for prematurity at 12 and 24 months old). Read More

Int J Dev Neurosci 2015 Apr 15;41:37-43. Epub 2014 Dec 15.

Neuropsychophysiology Laboratory, CIPsi School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.

With the present study we aimed to analyze the relationship between infants' behavior and their visual evoked-potential (VEPs) response. Specifically, we want to verify differences regarding the VEP response in sleeping and awake infants and if an association between VEP components, in both groups, with neurobehavioral outcome could be identified. To do so, thirty-two full-term and healthy infants, approximately 1-month of age, were assessed through a VEP unpatterned flashlight stimuli paradigm, offered in two different intensities, and were assessed using a neurobehavioral scale. Read More

PLoS One 2014 30;9(9):e107992. Epub 2014 Sep 30.

Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition, Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

In the past decades, multiple studies have been interested in developmental patterns of the visual system in healthy infants. During the first year of life, differential maturational changes have been observed between the Magnocellular (P) and the Parvocellular (P) visual pathways. However, few studies investigated P and M system development in infants born prematurely. Read More

Comput Biol Med 2014 Nov 19;54:61-71. Epub 2014 Aug 19.

LARIS EA7315, L׳UNAM Université, Institut Universitaire de Technologie, 4 Boulevard Lavoisier BP 42018, Angers cedex, France.

In this paper, we present a new method to compare and improve algorithms for feature detection in neonatal EEG. The method is based on the algorithm׳s ability to compute accurate statistics to predict the results of EEG visual analysis. This method is implemented inside a Java software called EEGDiag, as part of an e-health Web portal dedicated to neonatal EEG. Read More

Acta Neurol Belg 2015 Jun 23;115(2):129-36. Epub 2014 Jul 23.

First Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Egnatia St. 106, 54622, Thessaloniki, Greece.

We performed a systematic neurophysiological evaluation of newborns-infants newly diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism and started on replacement therapy, in order to document the maturation of visual, auditory and somesthetic pathways and to evaluate the influence of treatment. Twenty-one patients (9 boys, 12 girls) were studied. They underwent neurophysiological evaluation consisting of visual, auditory, and somatosensory evoked potentials at diagnosis, as well as 6 and 12 months after initiation of treatment. Read More

PLoS One 2013 11;8(11):e79028. Epub 2013 Nov 11.

Inserm, U663, Paris, France; University Paris-Descartes, Paris, France ; CEA, Neurospin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France ; Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Fondation Ophtalmologique A. de Rothschild, Paris, France.

In the premature infant, somatosensory and visual stimuli trigger an immature electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern, "delta-brushes," in the corresponding sensory cortical areas. Whether auditory stimuli evoke delta-brushes in the premature auditory cortex has not been reported. Here, responses to auditory stimuli were studied in 46 premature infants without neurologic risk aged 31 to 38 postmenstrual weeks (PMW) during routine EEG recording. Read More

Epilepsia 2013 May 29;54(5):909-17. Epub 2013 Mar 29.

Epilepsy Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

Purpose: The new International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification for focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) differentiates between patients with isolated FCD (type 1) and FCD with an associated hippocampal sclerosis (HS) (type 3a). In contrast to the former FCD classification by Palmini, which considered only histologic features, the novel ILAE classification also relies on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and presumed pathogenesis. We investigated in a cohort of 100 patients with exclusively temporal FCD if the new subdivision of FCD is reflected in clinical characteristics. Read More

Epilepsia 2013 Jun 18;54(6):1112-24. Epub 2013 Mar 18.

Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark.

The electroencephalography (EEG) signal has a high complexity, and the process of extracting clinically relevant features is achieved by visual analysis of the recordings. The interobserver agreement in EEG interpretation is only moderate. This is partly due to the method of reporting the findings in free-text format. Read More

Brain Dev 2014 Feb 17;36(2):116-23. Epub 2013 Feb 17.

Department of Children's Clinical Neurophysiology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address:

Background: Animal experiments have suggested that the quality of the early intermittent brain activity is important for shaping neuronal connectivity during developmental phase that corresponds to early prematurity. This is a pilot study aiming to assess whether spontaneous activity transients (SAT) in the early preterm babies are affected by drugs that are routinely used in neonatal intensive care.

Methods: We collected retrospectively seventeen EEG recordings (15 babies, conceptional age 26-33weeks, no brain lesions) that were divided into groups according to drug administration at the time of EEG: phenobarbital, fentanyl, theophylline, and controls. Read More

Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2012 ;2012:4720-3

Department of Medical Physics, Máxima Medical Center, De Run 4600 Veldhoven, The Netherlands. a.zwanenburg at mmc.nl

Electroencephalographic characteristics are useful in assessment of the functional status of specific neuronal connections relative to postmenstrual age. Interhemispheric burst synchrony (IBS) is a measure of the functional connectivity between the hemispheres in the maturing preterm brain. An algorithm was developed to assess IBS and was used in a prospective, longitudinal EEG study on 18 very preterm infants (< 32 weeks gestational age) with normal follow-up at 2 years of age. Read More

Pediatr Res 2013 Jan 5;73(1):87-94. Epub 2012 Nov 5.

Department of Pediatrics, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

Background: Sedative and analgesic medications are used in critically ill newborns, but little is known about their effects on electrocortical activity in preterm infants. We hypothesized that morphine might induce prolonged neurodepression, independent of blood pressure, as compared with rapid sequence induction/intubation(RSI).

Methods: Of 34 infants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing RSI (including thiopental 2-3 mg/kg and remifentantil 1 mcg/kg) with morphine (0. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2013 Feb 20;124(2):228-37. Epub 2012 Aug 20.

Clinical Neurophysiology, MIRA-Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, The Netherlands.

Objective: Visual interpretation of EEG is time-consuming and not always consistent between reviewers. Our objective is to improve this by introducing guidelines and algorithms to quantify various properties, focussing on the background pattern in adult EEGs.

Methods: Five common properties were evaluated: (i) alpha rhythm frequency; (ii) reactivity; (iii) anterio-posterior gradients; (iv) asymmetries; and (v) diffuse slow-wave activity. Read More

Behav Brain Res 2012 Oct 3;234(2):167-74. Epub 2012 Jul 3.

U666 INSERM, Institut de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.

This work concerns the debate surrounding the modified pain reactivity of patients with schizophrenia and other possible perceptive distortions. Rats with a neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion (NVHL) were used to model the neuro-developmental aspect of schizophrenia, and their reactivity to various stimuli was evaluated. The results could also help understand sensory deficits in other neuro-developmental disorders. Read More

Dev Neuropsychol 2012 ;37(3):226-52

Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.

In this meta-analysis, we examined interrelationships between characteristics of infant event-related potential (ERP) studies and their attrition rates. One-hundred and forty-nine published studies provided information on 314 experimental groups of which 181 provided data on attrition. A random effects meta-analysis revealed a high average attrition rate of 49. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2013 Oct 21;34(10):2402-17. Epub 2012 Apr 21.

MEDISIP-IPI-IBBT, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

Even though it is known that neonatal seizures are associated with acute brain lesions, the relationship of electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures to acute perinatal brain lesions visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not been objectively studied. EEG source localization is successfully used for this purpose in adults, but it has not been sufficiently explored in neonates. Therefore, we developed an integrated method for ictal EEG dipole source localization based on a realistic head model to investigate the utility of EEG source imaging in neonates with postasphyxial seizures. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2012 ;737:111-7

Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Division of Neonatology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.

Brain Res 2011 Jul 25;1402:30-7. Epub 2011 May 25.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Canadian Institutes of Health Research Group in Fetal and Neonatal Health and Development, Children's Health Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

We have designed an automated method for analyzing electrocortical (ECoG) activity in the near-term ovine fetus to process and quantitatively classify large amounts of data rapidly and objectively. Seven chronically catheterized fetal sheep were studied for 8h each at ~0.9 of gestation with continuous recording of ECoG activity using a computerized data acquisition system. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2011 Jul 7;122(7):1284-94. Epub 2011 May 7.

Neonatal Brain Research Group, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland.

Neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among neonates around the globe. With the advent of therapeutic hypothermia, the need to accurately classify the severity of injury in the early neonatal period is of great importance. As clinical measures cannot always accurately estimate the severity early enough for treatment to be initiated, clinicians have become more dependent on conventional and amplitude integrated EEG. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2011 Jul 7;21(3):296-300. Epub 2011 Apr 7.

Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.

Objective: Panayiotopoulos syndrome is a benign idiopathic childhood epilepsy characterized by altered autonomic activity at seizure onset.

Methods: Three siblings with Panayiotopoulos syndrome underwent 24-hour EEG recording and head-up tilt testing with continuous blood pressure and RR interval monitoring. Plasma catecholamines and vasopressin were measured while supine, upright, and during a typical seizure. Read More

Am J Clin Nutr 2011 May 9;93(5):1025-37. Epub 2011 Mar 9.

Université Laval, Quebec, Canada.

Background: The beneficial effects of prenatal and early postnatal intakes of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on cognitive development during infancy are well recognized. However, few studies have examined the extent to which these benefits continue to be evident in childhood.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relation of n-3 PUFAs and seafood-contaminant intake with memory function in school-age children from a fish-eating community. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2011 Aug 18;122(8):1671-8. Epub 2011 Feb 18.

Neonatal Brain Research Group, University College Cork, Ireland.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that quantitative EEG (qEEG) measures are associated with a grading of HIE based on the visual interpretation of neonatal EEG (EEG/HIE).

Methods: Continuous multichannel video-EEG data were recorded for up to 72 h. One-hour EEG segments from each recording were visually analysed and graded by two electroencephalographers (EEGers) blinded to clinical data. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2011 Mar 14;87(3):217-21. Epub 2011 Jan 14.

Department of Pediatrics, Okazaki City Hospital, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.

Aim: This study aimed to assess amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) findings in preterm infants with cystic periventricular leukomalacia (cPVL) in the early neonatal period.

Methods: We analyzed five infants with cPVL, whose gestational age was between 27 and 30 weeks, and 15 matched control infants. Two-channel (C3-O1 and C4-O2) aEEG was obtained by digital conversion from a conventional electroencephalogram, which was recorded at days 0-5, 6-13, and 21-34 in each infant. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2010 Apr 10;86(4):219-24. Epub 2010 Apr 10.

Máxima Medical Centre, Veldhoven, The Netherlands.

Background: The electroencephalographic (EEG) background pattern of preterm infants changes with postmenstrual age (PMA) from discontinuous activity to continuous activity. However, changes in discontinuity have been investigated by visual analysis only.

Aim: To investigate the maturational changes in EEG discontinuity in healthy preterm infants using an automated EEG detection algorithm. Read More

J Neurosci 2010 Mar;30(12):4325-37

Institut de Neurobiology de la Méditérannée, Inserm, Unité 901, 13273 Marseille cedex 09, France.

A primary feature of the preterm infant electroencephalogram is the presence of large infra-slow potentials containing rapid oscillations called slow activity transients (SATs). Such activity has not been described in animal models, and their generative mechanisms are unknown. Here we use direct-current and multisite extracellular, as well as whole-cell, recording in vivo to demonstrate the existence of regularly repeating SATs in the visual cortex of infant rats before eye opening. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2010 Feb 21;86(2):93-8. Epub 2010 Feb 21.

Child Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Padova, Italy.

Bilateral loss of cortical somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) is considered the single best indicator of adverse outcome in acute encephalopathy of adult patients and older children. This study determines whether the presence or absence of the neonatal cortical SEP can predict cerebral palsy at two years in survivors of neonatal encephalopathy scored according to Sarnat criteria. We also compare SEPs with visual evoked potentials (VEPs), the EEG and neonatal neurological status. Read More

Pediatr Res 2010 May;67(5):538-44

Department of Neonatology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales 2065, Australia.

Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) provides us with a method of assessing brain activity in critically ill neonates. In extremely premature neonates, the aEEG trace is predominantly discontinuous, making it difficult to distinguish between a "normal" and "abnormal" trace. We measured aEEG activity in the first 48 h of life in neonates born before 29-wk gestation and used both visual and quantitative analysis of the aEEG data to assess differences in neonates with poor short-term outcome [death or peri/intraventricular hemorrhage (P/IVH)] compared with those who survived without P/IVH to identify features of an abnormal aEEG. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2009 Dec 17;85(12):761-5. Epub 2009 Nov 17.

1st Department of Neonatology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Objective: To study, the maturational changes of the amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) in preterm infants without neurological disorders and especially the influence of the duration of extrauterine life, over this process.

Methods: 96 preterm infants, 25-34weeks' gestational age (GA) at birth, clinically stable and without ultrasonographic evidence of neurological abnormalities, were studied. The aEEG recordings were obtained within 72 h of life and then weekly until discharge. Read More

J Neurosci Methods 2009 Dec 20;185(1):99-107. Epub 2009 Sep 20.

Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Abnormalities in neonatal sensory evoked potentials (EPs) may indicate a poor developmental prognosis, but such EPs are highly variable, changing with development, and requiring subjective analysis. 'Weight of Evidence' (W), the logarithm of the ratio of the probability that a response has occurred to the probability that it has not, and 'Response Entropy' (S), the spread of the response over time and frequency bands, might provide objective and quantitative measures of EP abnormalities and developmental changes, based on information processing characteristics. W and S were calculated from visual and somatosensory EPs recorded in 72 premature newborns over 2 sessions, separated by 6-9 weeks. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2009 Oct 6;120(10):1787-96. Epub 2009 Sep 6.

Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, 3001 Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium.

Objective: The description and evaluation of two EEG-based algorithms for automatic and objective determination of the seizure location in the neonatal brain as it is reflected on the scalp.

Methods: Each algorithm extracts the electrical potential distribution of the seizure over the scalp using the higher-order canonical decomposition or Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC), also referred to as the CP model. This model decomposes a tensor in a sum of rank-1 components. Read More

J Neurosci 2009 May;29(18):6042-51

Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Stella Maris, I-56128 Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.

Environmental enrichment (EE) was shown recently to accelerate brain development in rodents. Increased levels of maternal care, and particularly tactile stimulation through licking and grooming, may represent a key component in the early phases of EE. We hypothesized that enriching the environment in terms of body massage may thus accelerate brain development in infants. Read More

IEEE Trans Inf Technol Biomed 2009 Jan;13(1):104-10

Gerstner Laboratory, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic.

Introduction: Polysomnography (PSG) is one of the most important noninvasive methods for studying maturation of the child brain. Sleep in infants is significantly different from sleep in adults. This paper addresses the problem of computer analysis of neonatal polygraphic signals. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2008 Dec 11;119(12):2879-86. Epub 2008 Oct 11.

Unidad de Investigación en Neurodesarrollo, Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-UAQ Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, CP 76230 Querétaro, México.

Objective: To investigate whether habituation of flash visual evoked potentials is already present during the first 3 months of life, and to explore differences between healthy infants, term infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and preterm infants with PVL.

Methods: Referential recordings to stimuli consisting of photic stimulation presented in blocks were obtained. A total of 25 blocks, 15-stimuli each, were presented. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2008 Jul 2;119(7):1486-95. Epub 2008 May 2.

Department of Medical Physics, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Objective: With MEG and EEG the effect of perinatal dioxin load of 38 healthy 7- to 12-year-old children was studied to assess possible disturbances of visual development.

Methods: Latencies and amplitudes of the motion (N2 with subcomponents) and oddball responses (N200 and P3b) were analysed after age correction.

Results: With increasing load, latencies increased and the amplitudes of the oddball components tended to be reduced. Read More

Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2008 Sep 11;12(5):387-97. Epub 2007 Dec 11.

Developmental Neuroscience Department, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the epileptic and developmental evolution in infants with West syndrome.

Methods: A prospective study of 21 infants was performed, with a follow-up at 2 years. Serial assessment included long-term EEG monitoring, visual and auditory evaluation and assessment of neurodevelopment. Read More