Comparison of quantitative EEG characteristics of quiet and active sleep in newborns.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to verify whether the proposed method of computer-supported EEG analysis is able to differentiate the EEG activity in quiet sleep (QS) from that in active sleep (AS) in newborns. A quantitative description of the neonatal EEG may contribute to a more exact evaluation of the functional state of the brain, as well as to a refinement of diagnostics of brain dysfunction manifesting itself frequently as 'dysrhythmia' or 'dysmaturity'.


METHODS
Twenty-one healthy newborns (10 full-term and 11 pre-term) were examined polygraphically (EEG-eight channels, respiration, ECG, EOG and EMG) in the course of sleep. From each EEG record, two 5-min samples (one from QS and one from AS) were subject to an off-line computerized analysis. The obtained data were averaged with respect to the sleep state and to the conceptional age. The number of variables was reduced by means of factor analysis.


RESULTS
All factors identified by factor analysis were highly significantly influenced by sleep states in both developmental periods. Likewise, a comparison of the measured variables between QS and AS revealed many statistically significant differences. The variables describing (a) the number and length of quasi-stationary segments, (b) voltage and (c) power in delta and theta bands contributed to the greatest degree to the differentiation of EEGs between both sleep states.


CONCLUSIONS
The presented method of the computerized EEG analysis which has good discriminative potential is adequately sensitive and describes the neonatal EEG with convenient accuracy.
Paul
Karel
K
Institute for the Care of Mother and Child, Podolské náb. 157, CZ 147 10 Prague 4, Czech Republic. karelpaul@seznam.cz
Krajca
Vladimír
V
Roth
Zdenek
Z
Melichar
Jan
J
Petránek
Svojmil
S
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004585:Electrooculography; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008954:Models, Biological; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*