%0 Journal Article %1 Ekert1997a %A Ekert, P. G. %A Taylor, M. J. %A Keenan, N. K. %A Boulton, J. E. %A Whyte, H. E. %D 1997 %J Biol Neonate %K Cerebral Palsy; Echoencephalography; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; False Positive Reactions; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Premature; Leukomalacia, Periventricular; Prognosis %N 2 %P 83--91 %T Early somatosensory evoked potentials in preterm infants: their prognostic utility. %V 71 %X We hypothesized that somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) recorded early in the course of a preterm infant life would be predictive of long-term neurodevelopmental outcome. We recorded unilateral, median nerve SEPs in 88 preterm infants twice in the first 3 weeks of life (SEP1 and SEP2). We found both SEP1 and SEP2 to be significantly associated with the presence of periventricular leukomalacia on head ultrasound (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02 for SEP1 and SEP2, respectively). Both SEP1 and SEP2 were predictive of later cerebral palsy (CP) (p = 0.03 and p = 0.003, respectively). False-positive results were frequent (13 of 17 for SEP1 and 20 of 28 for SEP2). A normal SEP, even when there was periventricular echogenicity on head ultrasound, was associated with a normal outcome in all but 1 instance. SEP1 and SEP2 were less accurate than head ultrasound findings of periventricular leukomalacia in the prediction of later CP (73, 69 and 93\%, respectively). SEPs done in the first 3 weeks of life may provide additional prognostic information, particularly when the test is normal. Abnormal SEPs in this period must be interpreted cautiously.

@article{Ekert1997a, abstract = {We hypothesized that somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) recorded early in the course of a preterm infant life would be predictive of long-term neurodevelopmental outcome. We recorded unilateral, median nerve SEPs in 88 preterm infants twice in the first 3 weeks of life (SEP1 and SEP2). We found both SEP1 and SEP2 to be significantly associated with the presence of periventricular leukomalacia on head ultrasound (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02 for SEP1 and SEP2, respectively). Both SEP1 and SEP2 were predictive of later cerebral palsy (CP) (p = 0.03 and p = 0.003, respectively). False-positive results were frequent (13 of 17 for SEP1 and 20 of 28 for SEP2). A normal SEP, even when there was periventricular echogenicity on head ultrasound, was associated with a normal outcome in all but 1 instance. SEP1 and SEP2 were less accurate than head ultrasound findings of periventricular leukomalacia in the prediction of later CP (73, 69 and 93\%, respectively). SEPs done in the first 3 weeks of life may provide additional prognostic information, particularly when the test is normal. Abnormal SEPs in this period must be interpreted cautiously.}, added-at = {2014-07-19T19:24:31.000+0200}, author = {Ekert, P. G. and Taylor, M. J. and Keenan, N. K. and Boulton, J. E. and Whyte, H. E.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/282040a5791c3ff15d874f020b8facad8/ar0berts}, groups = {public}, interhash = {e5256c5c4b0fc14bc54fa9bcef7be9b7}, intrahash = {82040a5791c3ff15d874f020b8facad8}, journal = {Biol Neonate}, keywords = {Cerebral Palsy; Echoencephalography; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; False Positive Reactions; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Premature; Leukomalacia, Periventricular; Prognosis}, number = 2, pages = {83--91}, pmid = {9057991}, timestamp = {2014-07-19T19:24:31.000+0200}, title = {Early somatosensory evoked potentials in preterm infants: their prognostic utility.}, username = {ar0berts}, volume = 71, year = 1997 }