[A study of evoked potentials in the brains of very low birth weight infants].
BACKGROUND
This work studies the behaviour of the N200 and P300 waves of the brain evoked potentials (BEP) in a group of very low birth weight infants and results are compared with a second group of children whose weight was normal at birth.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine whether the N200 and, more especially, the P300 waves in children under the age of 3 could be used to assess the development and prognosis of their disorders.


METHODS
BEP were performed in very low birth weight infants (taken as the test group) and in others whose weight at birth was normal (control group); the difference in ages when the potentials were recorded was not statistically significant.


RESULTS
The EEG index was evaluated for both the test and the control group, and a difference was found with a significance of p < 0.001. Latency, in milliseconds, of the N200 wave and the P300 wave was recorded at the same sites for the test and control groups and showed differences with a significance of p < 0.001.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings from the EEG and the latencies of the N200 and P300 waves in the BEP of very low birth weight infants are pathological and are linked to immaturity of the brain, which is characteristic of this population. This tool could help to detect developmental disorders and to facilitate a better approach to attending these children.
Arrabal-Terán
M C
MC
Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Clínico de San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. madreana@msn.com
Mateos-Mateos
R
R
Valle-Trapero
M
M
Pérez-Serrano
J M
JM
Martínez-Arias
R
R
Arizcun-Pineda
J
J
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology