title: Modulation of EEG spectral edge frequency during patterned pneumatic oral stimulation in preterm infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stimulation of the nervous system plays a central role in brain development and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Thalamocortical and corticocortical development is diminished in premature infants and correlated to electroencephalography (EEG) progression. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of orocutaneous stimulation on the modulation of spectral edge frequency fc = 90% (SEF-90), which is derived from EEG recordings in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 22 preterm infants were randomized to experimental and control conditions. Pulsed orocutaneous stimulation was presented during gavage feedings begun at ~32 wk postmenstrual age. The SEF-90 was derived from two-channel EEG recordings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control condition, the pulsed orocutaneous stimulation produced a significant reorganization of SEF-90 in the left (P = 0.005) and right (P < 0.0001) hemispheres. Notably, the left and right hemispheres showed a reversal in the polarity of frequency shift, demonstrating hemispheric asymmetry in the frequency domain. Pulsed orocutaneous stimulation also produced a significant pattern of short-term cortical adaptation and a long-term neural adaptation manifested as a 0.5 Hz elevation in SEF-90 after repeated stimulation sessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to demonstrate the modulating effects of a servo-controlled oral somatosensory input on the spectral features of EEG activity in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California.
authors.forename: Dongli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jegatheesan
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California.
authors.forename: Sunshine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California.
authors.forename: Balaji
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Govindaswami
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, Programs in Neuroscience and Bioengineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
authors.forename: Jingyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
authors.forename: Jaehoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, Programs in Neuroscience and Bioengineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oder
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, Programs in Neuroscience and Bioengineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barlow
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D009055:Mouth / Q000502:physiology