title: Effects of prenatal antiepileptic drug exposure on newborn brain activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is associated with an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction at early school age. Our aim was to investigate whether signs of adverse drug effects on brain function could be detected already during the first 2 weeks of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied prospectively 56 full-term newborns with prenatal exposure to AEDs and 67 unexposed newborns for the following characteristics: Background information, AED exposure data, pregnancy outcome, neuropsychological evaluation of the mothers, clinical neurologic status with Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination and early cortical activity using electroencephalography (EEG). For EEG assessment, we developed and provide automated quantitation algorithms of several earlier described features: oscillatory bouts at theta and alpha frequencies, frequency spectra, interhemispheric synchrony, and interburst intervals (IBIs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AED-exposed newborns had lower limb and axial tone and were less irritable than the unexposed newborns. EEG assessment disclosed significant differences in alpha bouts, in the frequency spectra, as well as in the spatial distributions of interhemispheric synchrony and IBIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that fetal AED exposure may affect early neonatal neurologic status and several features of early cortical activity. The findings suggest that interference of activity-dependent network development may be a possible mechanism to explain the link from fetal AED exposure to later neurocognitive sequelae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Videman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Children's Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokariev
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stjerna
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurosciences, Neurology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Reina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roivainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Eija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaily
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Clinical Neurophysiology, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sampsa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vanhatalo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009129:Muscle Tonus; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: EEG; Epilepsy; Neonatal; Pregnancy