Predicting neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm born infants using auditory event-related potentials: A systematic review

Publication date: Available online 17 February 2018 Source:Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews Author(s): Antoinette Depoorter, Julia Früh, Katharina Herrmann, Davide Zanchi, Peter Weber Prematurity is a known risk factor for later cognitive deficits. At present there are neither behavioral nor neurological tests available to detect those preterm infants who would benefit most from early interventions. Neurophysiologic methods, and more specifically, auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) are convenient tools to investigate early cognitive functioning. However, the capability of AERPs as a prognostic factor for mental development in preterm infants remains unclear. The present systematic search of the literature yielded 1016 articles, out of which 13 were included. Both prospective and cross-sectional studies reported a relationship between AERPs and cognitive outcome. Our results show that larger amplitudes and shorter latencies of late AERPs are related to better cognitive outcomes. Additional studies are needed to corroborate our findings regarding this potential use of AERPs in the individual evaluation of preterm born infants.

Source: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews - February 17, 2018 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research