Babies’ Slow Brain Waves Could Predict Problems
[Source: Medical X-Press]
The brain waves of healthy newborns – which appear more abnormal than those of severe stroke victims – could be used to accurately predict which babies will have neurodevelopmental disorders.
University of Queensland researchers are investigating whether an electroencephalogram (EEG) could identify apparently healthy infants who will later be found to have neurodevelopmental deficits.
Dr Simon Finnigan from the UQ Centre for Clinical Research and the Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit said the measure would be statistically compared with clinical assessments of the infants at two years of age.
“Clinical symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders – affecting movement, vision or other functions – often do not become evident until the toddler years or later,” Dr Finnigan said.
“If our measure is found to accurately predict outcomes, it could allow for early interventions and therapies to begin at the earliest possible opportunity, when they can be most effective.
“Our preliminary results in data from the first 60 babies look very promising.”
Dr Finnigan’s collaboration with UQ Professor of Perinatal Medicine Paul Colditz was informed by his research on stroke patients, including studies with scientists in Barcelona.
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