Bedside Amplitude-Integrated EEG Not Reliable for Detecting Seizures in Neonates

March 15, 2019

Bedside amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (EEG) possesses low sensitivity and specificity for detecting seizures compared with conventional EEG and may be prone to error in seizure classification in neonates, according to study results published in the Journal of Child Neurology.

Neonates from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, Canada, who presented with possible seizure activity underwent parallel amplitude-integrated EEG and conventional EEG. Clinicians interpreted clinical events and amplitude-integrated EEG at bedside. Independent assessment of amplitude-integrated EEG and conventional EEG was performed by experienced neonatology and neurology readers. In addition, readers compared bedside amplitude-integrated EEG with amplitude-integrated EEG interpretation and conventional EEG in terms of sensitivity and specificity.

Limitations of the analysis included the small number of neonates in the final cohort, the recruitment of patients from a single center, and the heterogeneity of the sample in terms of age and clinical diagnosis.

The researchers concluded that the combination of amplitude-integrated EEG and conventional EEG remains feasible, yet “in view of the limited sensitivity and specificity of amplitude-integrated EEG, combined monitoring provides limited clinical benefit with regard to seizure detection.”