MATURATIONAL TRENDS OF EEG-SLEEP MEASURES IN THE HEALTHY PRETERM NEONATE

Five physiologic groupings of 45 EEG-sleep measures were acquired from serial 24-channel EEG-sleep recordings (i.e., sleep architecture, con tinuity, EEG spectral, phasic, and autonomic measures), utilizing 129 studies on 56 healthy preterm infants from 28 to 43 weeks postconcepti onal age (PCA) who were neurodevelopmentally normal on follow-up. Regr ession analyses chose the least number of measures that best reflected maturation. Four of 45 variables (i.e., spectral or energy during qui et sleep, total spectral EEG energy, arousal number during active slee p, and percentage of EEG discontinuity) most significantly explained b rain maturation in neonates <36 weeks PCA. Three of 45 variables (i.e. , spectral theta and beta energies during active sleep and spectral al pha energy during quiet sleep) were most representative after 36 weeks PCA. Spectral EEG energies were the strongest indicators of maturatio n compared with other measures, particularly in near-term neonates.