Sensory assessment: Neurophysiology in neonates and neurodevelopmental outcome

Abstract

Neurophysiological studies, including electroencephalography (EEG) and evoked potentials (EPs), are helpful bedside tools for assessing neurologic function and helping with prediction of long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes following brain injury in preterm and term newborns. In this chapter, we describe the use of electroencephalography, including both amplitude-integrated EEG and continuous video EEG, and EPs, including visual, somatosensory, and brainstem auditory EPs, in the neonatal period. We review the current literature on the utility of these neurophysiological studies in the prediction of long-term outcomes in preterm and term newborns.

Keywords: Brainstem auditory evoked potentials; Cerebral function monitoring; Congenital heart disease; Developmental outcome; Electroencephalography; Evoked potentials; Hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy; Prematurity; Somatosensory evoked potentials; Visual evoked potentials.