title: Ictal and interictal electrographic seizure durations in preterm and term neonates.
abstract: The effect of gestational age on neonatal ictal and interictal durations has not been investigated. Sixty-eight neonates with 644 electrographic seizures were identified retrospectively. Thirty-five full-term (FT) neonates were compared with 33 preterm (PT) neonates. Eighteen older preterm infants (OPT) [> 31 weeks estimated gestational age (EGA)] were also compared with 15 young preterm infants (YPT) of < or = 31 weeks EGA. Ictal/interictal durations were calculated for the total cohort with and without status epilepticus (SE). Statistical analyses were two-tailed t tests, chi-square calculations, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Duncan's multiple-range test. Eleven of 35 (33%) FT had SE as compared with 3 of 33 (9%) PT (chi-square = 7.8, p < 0.05). The mean ictal duration was 14.2 min for FT infants as compared with 3.1 min for PT infants (p < 0.01); only borderline differences were noted after those with SE were excluded. Interictal durations were longer for OPT than YPT (p < 0.05). By ANOVA and Duncan's multiple-range tests, group differences included longer mean ictal durations for FT infants as compared with OPT infants (p = 0.06, ANOVA; p < 0.05, Duncan's), and longer mean interictal durations for FT infants versus OPT and OPT versus YPT (p = 0.02, ANOVA; p < 0.05, Duncan's). More developed neuronal networks result in longer ictal durations in FT than in PT neonates, including FT infants with SE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Developmental Neurophysiology Laboratory, Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3180.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Scher
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Steppe
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Beggarly
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Painter
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology