Bilateral loss of cortical SEPs predict severe MRI lesions in neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term neonates is a significant cause of infant mortality and morbidity. As a routine, early assessment of neonatal encephalopathy is based on clinical observation (graded by Sarnat and Sarnat, 1976), MRI and EEG recordings of brain electrical activity while the acquisition of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in the neonatal period is often hampered by logistic reasons. After moderate whole-body hypothermia (therapeutic hypothermia- TH) proved its efficacy and safety in reducing death and cerebral palsy and improving neurological outcome (Azzopardi et al, 2009), clinicians and researchers needed to test its influence on the most widely used prognostic tools.

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