title: Evaluation of brain maturation in pre-term infants using conventional and amplitude-integrated electroencephalograms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the accuracy of conventional electroencephalograms (cEEGs) and amplitude-integrated EEGs (aEEGs) in the evaluation of brain maturation in normal pre-term infants. In addition, extrauterine acceleration of brain maturation was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 129 EEGs recorded between 27 and 37 weeks of postconceptional age (PCA) from 37 clinically stable pre-term infants were analysed. One expert investigator blindly estimated PCA using cEEG and total cerebral function monitoring (CFM) score on aEEG. The estimated PCA (ePCA) on aEEG was calculated from a regression equation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between chronological PCA (cPCA) and ePCA on cEEG and between cPCA and total CFM score on aEEG. The estimation gap was smaller on cEEG, which was between -2 and +2 weeks in 96.9%. No significant correlation was observed between postnatal age and the estimation gap on cEEG or aEEG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Estimated brain maturation was well correlated with cPCA on cEEG and aEEG. However, the evaluation of brain maturation was much more accurate on cEEG than aEEG. Extrauterine acceleration of brain maturation was not observed on either cEEG or aEEG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  cEEG and aEEG will be valuable tools for evaluation of brain maturation in pre-term infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Okazaki City Hospital, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan. kato-jes@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Akihisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Natsume
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male