title: Prognostic value of EEG performed at term age in preterm infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed at term age on 32 infants born prematurely (25-32 weeks). EEG was assessed looking for overall background activity and transients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quantitative analysis was performed, selecting 5-min epochs of "tracé alternant" free of artefacts during quiet sleep. EEG findings were compared with cranial ultrasound (US) findings at term age and with neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years (Student's t-test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall EEG background activity was not always related to the outcome or to the severity of cranial US. Infants with normal US and normal outcome had longer synchrony percentage of bursts, longer maximum duration of bursts and shorter mean of abnormal transients per interbursts than children with major lesions and abnormal outcome. Infants with minor lesions, who all had normal outcome, also had better results than those with major lesions and abnormal outcome, but the range of the EEG findings was more variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the EEG performed at term age does not provide additional prognostic information compared to cranial US.
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Randò
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luciano
authors.forename: M Flavia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Frisone
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baranello
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pane
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tortorolo
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mercuri
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guzzetta
mesh_terms: D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D014463:Ultrasonography