Studies on electrophysiologic maturation of the premature brain: small for gestational infants and appropriate for gestational age infants.

In order to prevent adverse neurological outcome in very low birth weight infants, insight in normal brain development and identification of circumstances that damage normal brain development is warranted. Polysomnographic patterns reflect functional brain maturation and are correlated with neurological outcome in preterm infants.

Because of the expertise at the Maxima Medical Centre in signal analysis (in collaboration with researchers of the Technical University Eindhoven), we intend to document “normal” neuroelektrophysiologic development in preterm infants by polysomnography and quantitative analysis of the acquired data, in order to identify potential damaging influences on this development.




During an open observational, non-invasive, non-therapeutic study of a cohort population we will perform weekly polysomnography recordings.

In this first study we will explore electrophysiologic maturation in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants and small for gestational infants (SGA) with brain sparing.

Goal:

1. Defining normal electophysiologic matarution in premature infants by quantitative analysing techniques;

2. Identifying circumstances that disturb normal electrophysiologic maturation.

N/A

Weekly polysomnography.