PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF ABNORMAL EEG TRANSIENTS IN PRETERM AND FULL-TERM NEONATES

The prognostic value of abnormal EEG transients was investigated in 36 2 subjects submitted to EEG recording during the neonatal age and foll owed-up at least until the 12th month of corrected age. The incidence of negative and positive spikes and sharp waves, of rhythmic sharp the ta and delta activities and of alpha discharges were evaluated by mean s of a quantitative score. These abnormal EEG transients appeared to b e generally rare and even absent in a large number of subjects. In inf ants with normal outcome their incidence tends to increase from low po stmenstrual ages towards term period. Full-term newborns with abnormal neurological outcome presented a significantly higher incidence of th ese transients. Preterm infants with unfavourable evolution showed a h igher incidence only when submitted to EEG recording at around term ag e. However, no difference between subjects with normal and abnormal ou tcome was detected in preterm infants when evaluated at low postmenstr ual ages. The hypothesis that at low postmenstrual ages brain damage m ight, on the one hand, give rise to abnormal transients and, on the ot her, alter the 'capability' of manifesting them (together with other E EG maturational aspects), might explain these results.