REVERSIBLE CHANGES IN CEREBRAL-ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH ACIDOSIS IN PRETERM NEONATES

Computerized online EEG monitoring in ventilated preterm infants less than 32 weeks' gestation enabled evaluation of the effect of acidosis on cerebral function. All episodes of acidosis were found to be associ ated with changes in the levels of cerebral activity. In 21 of the 32 episodes, EEG activity returned to pre-acidosis levels after therapeut ic intervention. The duration of EEG abnormality was related to the se verity of acidosis. However, the time to recovery of the EEG after the rapeutic procedures was not related to duration of the EEG change.