QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF DISCONTINUOUS EEG IN PREMATURE AND FULL-TERMNEWBORNS DURING QUIET SLEEP

To assess the spatio-temporal structure of discontinuous EEG tracing i n mature and immature newborns, we analysed mean spectral power in fre quency bands between 0.8 and 16.8 Hz in 6 full-term newborns and 7 pre mature newborns <32 weeks of conceptional age. The most striking resul ts showed a significantly higher mean spectral power for the first hal f of bursts than for the second half recorded in >2.8-14.8 Hz frequenc y bands. This pattern was more pronounced in premature than in full-te rm newborns. No clear differences were observed in comparisons between the first and the second half of the interburst periods. In addition, as far as mid and high frequency band spectra were considered, the me an spectral power of burst was, in both groups, higher in the right as compared to the left occipital regions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd.