José Augusto Bragatti

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between abnormal early amplitude integrated electroencephalography (EEG) and severe lesions in imaging tests performed during the neonatal period in very low birth weight infants. Methods: An amplitude-integrated EEG was performed in 70 patients with a mean birth weight of 1226 g during the first 48 hours of life. Severe lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasonography (US) during the neonatal period were considered as adverse conditions. Variables were compared using the χ² test or analysis of variance. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive likelihood ratio were calculated. Results: Adverse outcomes were observed in 6 patients. There was a significant relationship ( P < .001) between abnormal amplitude-integrated EEG background and severe lesions on MRI and US. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 89%, respectively. Conclusion: Early amplitude-integrated EEG with moderate/severe abnormalities in the background is associated with severe structural lesions detected in imaging studies and should be considered as an auxiliary screening tool for the detection of neonatal brain lesions in very low birth weight infants.

Neurological sequelae are common in very low-birth-weight preterm infants. The prevention of brain injury and development of neuroprotective strategies have been the main objectives of modern neonatal neurology. Amplitude integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) is a continuous brain monitoring method that can aid in early diagnosis and detect patients who are at risk. While its role in the assessment of full-term newborn infants is already well established, there are still doubts about its use in preterm infants. The objective of this review was to describe the main recommendations for the use of aEEG in very low-birth-weight preterm infants and its accuracy in assessing the prognosis and detecting epileptic seizures in this population.

We evaluated the correlation between chronobiological variables and characteristics of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Sample: 17 individuals epileptic outpatients and respective controls. Instruments: The Social Rhythm Metric for social zeitgebers, lux meter, and an ACT10^® thermistor for activity–rest rhythm, light exposure, and peripheral body temperature. Regularity scores showed an inverse correlation with age at disease onset (r = −0.5; p < 0.05), but not with disease duration or stabilization time. A significant intergroup difference was recorded for mean diurnal peripheral temperature (p < 0.01) and activity amplitude (= 0.06). There was a correlation between activity and temperature means in both groups. These results underscore the relationship between epilepsy and the biological clock on a physiological level. Epilepsy, in turn, is influenced by the circadian rhythm, indicating the potential involvement of the body’s internal clock in the development of the disease or the seizure recurrence pattern.