title: Neonatal encephalopathy: an inadequate term for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
abstract: This Point of View article addresses neonatal encephalopathy (NE) presumably caused by hypoxia-ischemia and the terminology currently in wide use for this disorder. The nonspecific term NE is commonly utilized for those infants with the clinical and imaging characteristics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Multiple magnetic resonance imaging studies of term infants with the clinical setting of presumed hypoxia-ischemia near the time of delivery have delineated a topography of lesions highly correlated with that defined by human neuropathology and by animal models, including primate models, of hypoxia-ischemia. These imaging findings, coupled with clinical features consistent with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult(s), warrant the specific designation of neonatal HIE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Joseph.volpe@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Volpe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology