title: Diagnosing neonatal seizures and status epilepticus.
abstract: Continuous electroencephalographic (CEEG) monitoring is often applied in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to aid in the diagnosis and management of seizures. Neonatal seizures are particularly difficult to identify on the basis of clinical observation alone; diagnosis is greatly facilitated by CEEG monitoring. There is building evidence to suggest which neonates are at highest risk for seizures, and how CEEG can aid diagnosis. For the neurophysiologist, the unique features of neonatal seizures can distinguish them from nonictal patterns. These features include duration, location, morphology, and evolution. At the extreme, very frequent or prolonged neonatal seizures constitute status epilepticus. There is no consensus definition for neonatal status epilepticus, although the proposed criteria share some features. This article reviews available evidence to guide the application and interpretation of CEEG in the diagnosis of neonatal seizures and status epilepticus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Neurology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. wusthoff@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Courtney J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wusthoff
mesh_terms: D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis*