Prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome in the preterm infant: short latency cortical somatosensory evoked potentials compared with cranial ultrasound.
One hundred and twenty six preterm infants, with a gestational age of 34 weeks or less, were studied to compare the predictive value of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) with that of cranial ultrasound. A normal N1 latency was no guarantee of a normal outcome, nor did a persistently delayed N1 latency always correlate with a poor outcome. As a predictor of cerebral palsy, SEPs had a sensitivity of 44% and a specificity of 92%. The presence of a large haemorrhage (grade IIb/III) or cystic leukomalacia on cranial ultrasound predicted cerebral palsy with a sensitivity of 73.6% and a specificity of 83.1%. These results demonstrate that the role of SEPs recorded after median nerve stimulation is limited in preterm infants.
de Vries
L S
LS
Department of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Eken
P
P
Pierrat
V
V
Daniels
H
H
Casaer
P
P
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004421:Dystonia / Q000175:diagnosis; D004453:Echoencephalography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity