Neurophysiological Monitoring

EEG (electroencephalogram) is utilized to detect cortical cerebral electric activity. In neonates, both conventional EEG (cEEG) and a simplified form known as amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) hold significant value. Prolonged continuous EEG is recommended in high-risk scenarios and has been associated with improved seizure identification and outcomes. While aEEG aids in seizure detection, cEEG remains the gold standard for diagnosing seizures in neonates. aEEG is employed as a bedside tool for selecting infants with neonatal encephalopathy for therapeutic hypothermia, while both aEEG and cEEG are valuable for prognostication. Continuous EEG monitoring further improves seizure detection and outcome prediction for extremely preterm infants and critically ill infants. Utilization of neurophysiological monitoring in the NICU can be enhanced by the emerging automated analysis algorithms.