Electrical Brain Function of Prematurely Born Babies

Abstract

Routine recordings of preterm human electroencephalography (EEG) have been successfully performed for over four decades. Over these years, the EEG recording techniques, as well as the ways of EEG interpretation have remained essentially unchanged. Recent studies have demonstrated that major components of the preterm EEG signal are lost with the conventional EEG recording. At the same time, basic studies have suggested that brain development per se relies on activity that is readily ignored in the existing EEG practise. This paper summarizes a new framework of EEG interpretation that combines the knowledge regarding functional and structural brain development. An approach of this kind may ultimately open novel avenues to conduct rational, evidence based studies on brain pathophysiologies and their treatments.