Prognostic value of EEG depression in preterm infants for later development of cerebral palsy

The aim of this study is to examine the most appropriate timing for EEG recordings in order to predict the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) on the basis of the degree of acute stage abnormalities (ASA) in preterm infants. We retrospectively investigated the correlation between the degree of ASA and psychomotor outcome of 295 infants born between 27 and 32 weeks of gestational age whose initial EEG recording was performed within 7 days of life. Forty-six infants were diagnosed as having CP at 18 months of corrected age, and most of them suffered from diplegia due to periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). The maximum degree of ASA correlated with a later development of CP and its severity. Correlation between the degree of ASA and the severity of CP was highest on day 1 - 2, but this tendency was less clear after day 3. Specificity and negative predictive value were generally high within the first 7 days of life. But sensitivity was markedly decreased after day 3, and positive predictive value was highest on day 2. An EEG on day 1 or 2 will be useful in order to predict developmental outcome of preterm infants on the basis of the grade of ASA.