Electrocortical activity in fetal sheep in the last seven days of gestation

1. Electrocorticogram (ECoG) and myometrial electromyogram (EMG) were recor ded continuously in chronically instrumented late gestation sheep fetuses ( n = 9) to analyse: (1) 24 h ECoG patterns, (2) relationships between ECoG; and myometrial contractility, and (3) 24 h ECoG patterns at the spontaneous onset of labour. 2. Spontaneous onset of labour was determined from the myometrial EMG. ECoG signals were purified by a denoising procedure of wavelet decomposition. H igh-voltage slow ECoG activity (HV) and low-voltage fast ECoG activity (LV) were determined mathematically and HV-LV cycle periodicity was calculated by periodogram analysis. 3. Twenty-four hour rhythms were present ill fetal ECoG HV-LV cycles in the 3-5 days prior to spontaneous onset of labour (P < 0.01). Cycle frequency was lower at 08.00-12.00 h and higher at 16.00-20.00 h (lights on at 07.00 h, lights off at 21.00 h). LV duration was longer at 20.00-24.00 h, and HV was shorter at 16.00-20.00 h. No relationship was found between ECoG cycles and myometrial contracture cycles. Twenty-four hour ECoG rhythms disappear ed 1 day before the spontaneous onset of labour. 4. ECoG patterns changed 7 to 4 h prior to spontaneous onset of labour, per centage of time spent and duration of HV ECoG increased, and percentage of time spent in LV decreased significantly. ECoG HV-LV cyclicity was reduced 4-5 h prior to spontaneous onset of labour, indicating that the altered fet al hormonal and blood gas environment around the spontaneous onset of labou r alter fetal neural function.