Dolphin CONTINUE: a multi-center randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of a nutritional intervention on brain development and long-term outcome in infants born before 30 weeks of gestation.

BACKGROUND: Preterm born infants are at risk for brain injury and subsequent developmental delay. Treatment options are limited, but optimizing postnatal nutrition may improve brain- and neurodevelopment in these infants. In pre-clinical animal models, combined supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), choline, and uridine-5-monophosphate (UMP) have shown to support neuronal membrane formation. In two randomized controlled pilot trials, supplementation with the investigational product was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in cognitive, attention, and language scores. The present study aims to assess the effect of a similar nutritional intervention on brain development and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome in infants born very and extremely preterm. METHODS: This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group, multi-center trial. A total of 130 infants, born at less than 30 weeks of gestation, will be randomized to receive a test or control product between term-equivalent age and 12 months corrected age (CA). The test product is a nutrient blend containing DHA, choline, and UMP amongst others. The control product contains only fractions of the active components. Both products are isocaloric powder supplements which can be added to milk and solid feeds. The primary outcome parameter is white matter integrity at three months CA, assessed using diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) on MRI scanning. Secondary outcome parameters include volumetric brain development, cortical thickness, cortical folding, the metabolic and biochemical status of the brain, and product safety. Additionally, language, cognitive, motor, and behavioral development will be assessed at 12 and 24 months CA, using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III and digital questionnaires (Dutch version of the Communicative Development Inventories (N-CDI), Ages and Stages Questionnaire 4 (ASQ-4), and Parent Report of Children's Abilities - Revised (PARCA-R)). DISCUSSION: The investigated nutritional intervention is hypothesized to promote brain development and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm born infants who have an inherent risk of developmental delay. Moreover, this innovative study may give rise to new treatment possibilities and improvements in routine clinical care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: WHO International Clinical Trials Registry: NL-OMON56181 (registration assigned October 28, 2021).

Exploring Parents' Experiences and Needs During Disclosure of a Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis of Their Young Child: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Parents often perceive the news that their child has cerebral palsy (CP) as overwhelming and shocking. They are at increased risk of parental stress and mental health problems, which in turn can affect the interaction between the parent and the child. Parental mental health outcomes are known to be affected by the process of disclosure of a diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to synthesize the current knowledge about parents' experiences and needs regarding communication during the disclosure of the diagnosis of their child with (or at risk of) CP. METHODS: A scoping review following the methodological steps outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute was performed using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO. We qualitatively explored parent-reported experiences and needs across included studies, using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 19 studies were included. Six themes were identified, three in relation to experiences (i.e., preceding experiences and feelings, perceptions of the disclosure and emotional impact) and three in relation to needs (i.e., transparency in information, supportive attitude and having a say). Despite high variability across studies regarding parental needs, most studies reported the need for (i) honest and clear information, (ii) good communication skills amongst professionals and (iii) emotional and practical support after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that parents' experiences and needs in the period when their child's diagnosis of (high risk of) CP is communicated are highly variable, due to an interplay of personal and contextual factors. To facilitate good communication during disclosure, it is crucial that health care professionals assess and understand this complex process and consider parents' needs for open communication and autonomy in the process. Therefore, professionals need to attune to parents' needs and their individual preferences regarding conversations about their child with (or at risk of) CP.

Relationship Between Early Functional and Structural Brain Developments and Brain Injury in Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies explored the relationship between early brain function and brain morphology, based on the hypothesis that increased brain activity can positively affect structural brain development and that excitatory neuronal activity stimulates myelination. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between maturational features from early and serial aEEGs after premature birth and MRI metrics characterizing structural brain development and injury, measured around 30weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) and at term. Moreover, we aimed to verify whether previously developed maturational EEG features are related with PMA. DESIGN/METHODS: One hundred six extremely preterm infants received bedside aEEGs during the first 72h and weekly until week 5. 3T-MRIs were performed at 30weeks PMA and at term. Specific features were extracted to assess EEG maturation: (1) the spectral content, (2) the continuity [percentage of spontaneous activity transients (SAT%) and the interburst interval (IBI)], and (3) the complexity. Automatic MRI segmentation to assess volumes and MRI score was performed. The relationship between the maturational EEG features and MRI measures was investigated. RESULTS: Both SAT% and EEG complexity were correlated with PMA. IBI was inversely associated with PMA. Complexity features had a positive correlation with the cerebellar size at 30weeks, while event-based measures were related to the cerebellar size at term. Cerebellar width, cortical grey matter, and total brain volume at term were inversely correlated with the relative power in the higher frequency bands. CONCLUSIONS: The continuity and complexity of the EEG steadily increase with increasing postnatal age. Increasing complexity and event-based features are associated with cerebellar size, a structure with enormous development during preterm life. Brain activity is important for later structural brain development.

Non-invasive MRI measurements of venous oxygenation, oxygen extraction fraction and oxygen consumption in neonates.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Brain oxygen consumption reflects neuronal activity and can therefore be used to investigate brain development or neuronal injury in neonates. In this paper we present the first results of a non-invasive MRI method to evaluate whole brain oxygen consumption in neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this study 51 neonates were included. The T1 and T2 of blood in the sagittal sinus were fitted using the 'T2 prepared tissue relaxation inversion recovery' pulse sequence (T2-TRIR). From the T1 and the T2 of blood, the venous oxygenation and the oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) were calculated. The cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) was the resultant of the venous oxygenation and arterial spin labeling whole brain cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements. RESULTS: Venous oxygenation was 59±14% (mean±sd), OEF was 40±14%, CBF was 14±5ml/100g/min and CMRO2 was 30±12µmol/100g/min. The OEF in preterms at term-equivalent age was higher than in the preterms and in the infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (p<0.01). The OEF, CBF and CMRO2 increased (p<0.01, <0.05 and <0.01, respectively) with postnatal age. CONCLUSION: We presented an MRI technique to evaluate whole-brain oxygen consumption in neonates non-invasively. The measured values are in line with reference values found by invasive measurement techniques. Preterms and infants with HIE demonstrated significant lower oxygen extraction fraction than the preterms at term-equivalent age. This could be due to decreased neuronal activity as a reflection of brain development or as a result of tissue damage, increased cerebral blood flow due to immature or impaired autoregulation, or could be caused by differences in postnatal age.

Simultaneous quantitative assessment of cerebral physiology using respiratory-calibrated MRI and near-infrared spectroscopy in healthy adults.

BACKGROUND: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and functional MRI (fMRI) are non-invasive techniques used to relate activity in different brain regions to certain tasks. Respiratory calibration of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, and combined fNIRS-fMRI approaches have been used to quantify physiological subcomponents giving rise to the BOLD signal. A comparison of absolute oxygen metabolism parameters between MRI and NIRS, using spatially resolved (SRS) NIRS and respiratory calibrated MRI, could yield additional insight in the physiology underlying activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Changes in the BOLD signal, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and oxygen saturation (SO2) were derived from a single MRI sequence during a respiratory challenge in healthy volunteers. These changes were compared to SO2 obtained by a single probe SRS NIRS setup. In addition, concentration changes in oxygenated (O2Hb), deoxygenated (HHb), and total haemoglobin (tHb), obtained by NIRS, were compared to the parameters obtained by MRI. RESULTS: NIRS SO2 correlated with end-tidal CO2 (0.83, p<0.0001), the BOLD signal (0.82, p<0.0001), CBF (0.85, p<0.0001), and also MRI SO2 (0.82, p<0.0001). The BOLD signal correlated with NIRS HHb (-0.76, p<0.0001), O2Hb (0.41, p=0.001), and tHb (r=0.32, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Good correlations show that changes in cerebral physiology, following a respiratory challenge, go hand in hand with changes in the BOLD signal, CBF, O2Hb, HHb, NIRS SO2, and MRI SO2. Out of all NIRS derived parameters, the SO2 showed the best correlation with the BOLD signal.

Developmental venous anomaly in the newborn brain.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral developmental venous anomaly (DVA) is considered a benign anatomical variant of parenchymal venous drainage; it is the most common vascular malformation seen in the adult brain. Despite its assumed congenital origin, little is known about DVA in the neonatal brain. We report here the first cohort study of 14 neonates with DVA. METHODS: Fourteen infants (seven preterm) with DVA diagnosed neonatally using cranial ultrasound (cUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from three tertiary neonatal units over 14 years are reviewed. RESULTS: DVA was first detected on cUS in 6 and on MRI in 8 of the 14 infants. The cUS appearances of DVA showed a focal fairly uniform area of increased echogenicity, often (86 %) adjacent to the lateral ventricle and located in the frontal lobe (58 %). Blood flow in the dilated collector vein detected by Doppler ultrasound (US) varied between cases (venous flow pattern in ten and arterialized in four). The appearance on conventional MRI was similar to findings in adults. Serial imaging showed a fairly constant appearance to the DVAs in some cases while others varied considerably regarding anatomical extent and flow velocity. CONCLUSIONS: This case series underlines that a neonatal diagnosis of DVA is possible with carefully performed cUS and MRI and that DVA tends to be an incidental finding with a diverse spectrum of imaging appearances. Serial imaging suggests that some DVAs undergo dynamic changes during the neonatal period and early infancy; this may contribute to why diagnosis is rare at this age.

Neonatal stroke: a review of the current evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics and therapeutic options.

UNLABELLED: Neonatal stroke, including perinatal arterial ischaemic stroke and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis, remains a serious problem in the neonate. This article reviews the current evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics and therapeutic options. CONCLUSION: Although our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and possible risk factors has improved, little progress has been made towards therapeutic options. Considering the high incidence of neurological sequelae, the need for therapeutic options is high and should be the focus of future research.

Quantification of stress exposure in very preterm infants: Development of the NeO-stress score.

BACKGROUND: Stress during treatment at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has long-term negative consequences on preterm infants' development. AIMS: We developed an instrument suited to validly determine the cumulative stress exposure for preterm infants in a NICU. STUDY DESIGN: This survey study made use of two consecutive questionnaires. SUBJECTS: NICU nurses and physicians from the nine NICUs in the Netherlands. OUTCOME MEASURES: First, respondents rated the relevance of 77 items encompassing potentially stressful procedures, commented on their comprehensibility and the comprehensiveness of the list. We calculated the content validity per item (CVI-I) and included only the relevant items in a second questionnaire in which the participants rated the stressfulness from 0 (not stressful) to 10 (extremely stressful). A stressfulness index - representing the median score - was calculated for each included item. RESULTS: Based on the CVI-I of the 77 items, step 1 resulted in 38 items considered relevant to quantify stress in preterm infants during the first 28 days of life. This list of 38 items exists of 34 items with a CVI-I if 0.78 or higher, one of these items was split into two items, and three items were added to improve comprehensiveness. The stressfulness index ranged from five to nine. CONCLUSIONS: The NeO-stress score consists of stressful items including their severity index and was developed to determine cumulative stress exposure of preterm infants. Evaluating the cross-cultural validity, correlating it to behavioural and biological stress responses, and evaluating its ability to predict preterm infants at risk for the negative effects following stress might expand the possibilities for this instrument.

Introduction of ultra-high-field MR brain imaging in infants: vital parameters, temperature and comfort.

Background: Brain MRI in infants at ultra-high-field scanners might improve diagnostic quality, but safety should be evaluated first. In our previous study, we reported simulated specific absorption rates and acoustic noise data at 7 Tesla. Methods: In this study, we included twenty infants between term-equivalent age and three months of age. The infants were scanned on a 7 Tesla MRI directly after their clinically indicated 3 Tesla brain MRI scan. Vital parameters, temperature, and comfort were monitored throughout the process. Brain temperature was estimated during the MRI scans using proton MR spectroscopy. Results: We found no significant differences in vital parameters, temperature, and comfort during and after 7 Tesla MRI scans, compared to 3 Tesla MRI scans. Conclusions: These data confirm our hypothesis that scanning infants at 7 Tesla MRI appears to be safe and we identified no additional risks from scanning at 3 Tesla MRI.

Creating an optimal observational sleep stage classification system for very and extremely preterm infants.

BACKGROUND: Sleep plays a major role in neuronal survival and guiding the fetal brain's development. Preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are exposed to numerous external stimuli that can severely disrupt their sleep/wake patterns. Currently, almost no behavioral classification scales are validated for preterm infants. This study aims to develop a new, easy-to-use, validated visual sleep stage classification system for preterm infants with a gestational age between 25 and 37 weeks. METHODS: The Behavioral Sleep stage classification for Preterm Infants (BeSSPI) consists of four sleep-wake stages; active sleep (AS), quiet sleep (QS), intermediate sleep (IS) and wake (W), which are classified using seven items. Items include eye movements, body movements, facial movements, vocalizations, heart rate, respiratory pattern and activity level. RESULTS: 69 preterm infants were observed (24 + 6-36 + 0 weeks GA at birth; 25 + 2-36 + 6 weeks PMA at observation; 57.3% male). Across all 69 infants, the BeSSPI was based on 10,922 min of observed behavior, with 4264 min AS (38.83%), 2873 min QS (26.16%), 2887 min IS (26.29%), and 957 min W (8.72%). For the final BeSSPI, an interrater agreement of κ = 0.80 was reached. Additionally, construct, content, face validity, and expert validity were carefully assessed and deemed satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a method to evaluate sleep-wake stages that is simple for all neonatal healthcare providers to learn and use. The BeSSPI is of high reliability and validity. Furthermore, it can be used in all preterm age-groups. Therefore, this novel instrument may improve rigor and reproducibility for future preterm sleep research.

A Uniform Description of Perioperative Brain MRI Findings in Infants with Severe Congenital Heart Disease: Results of a European Collaboration.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A uniform description of brain MR imaging findings in infants with severe congenital heart disease to assess risk factors, predict outcome, and compare centers is lacking. Our objective was to uniformly describe the spectrum of perioperative brain MR imaging findings in infants with congenital heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational studies were performed at 3 European centers between 2009 and 2019. Brain MR imaging was performed preoperatively and/or postoperatively in infants with transposition of the great arteries, single-ventricle physiology, or left ventricular outflow tract obstruction undergoing cardiac surgery within the first 6 weeks of life. Brain injury was assessed on T1, T2, DWI, SWI, and MRV. A subsample of images was assessed jointly to reach a consensus. RESULTS: A total of 348 MR imaging scans (180 preoperatively, 168 postoperatively, 146 pre- and postoperatively) were obtained in 202 infants. Preoperative, new postoperative, and cumulative postoperative white matter injury was identified in 25%, 30%, and 36%; arterial ischemic stroke, in 6%, 10%, and 14%; hypoxic-ischemic watershed injury in 2%, 1%, and 1%; intraparenchymal cerebral hemorrhage, in 0%, 4%, and 5%; cerebellar hemorrhage, in 6%, 2%, and 6%; intraventricular hemorrhage, in 14%, 6%, and 13%; subdural hemorrhage, in 29%, 17%, and 29%; and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis, in 0%, 10%, and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A broad spectrum of perioperative brain MR imaging findings was found in infants with severe congenital heart disease. We propose an MR imaging protocol including T1-, T2-, diffusion-, and susceptibility-weighted imaging, and MRV to identify ischemic, hemorrhagic, and thrombotic lesions observed in this patient group.

Morphine affects brain activity and volumes in preterms: An observational multi-center study.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that morphine has a depressing effect on early brain activity, assessed using quantitative aEEG/EEG parameter and depressed activity will be associated with brain volumes at term in extremely preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: 174 preterm infants were enrolled in 3 European tertiary NICUs (mean GA:26 ± 1wks) and monitored during the first 72 h after birth with continuous 2 channel aEEG. Six epochs of aEEG recordings were selected and minimum amplitude of aEEG (min aEEG), percentage of time amplitude <5 µV (% of time < 5 µV), spontaneous activity transients (SATrate) and interSAT interval (ISI) were calculated. For infants receiving morphine, the cumulative morphine dosage was calculated. In a subgroup of 58 infants, good quality MRI at term equivalent age (TEA) and the cumulative morphine dose until TEA were available. The effects of morphine administration and cumulative dose on aEEG/EEG measures and on brain volumes were investigated. RESULTS: Morphine administration had a significant effect on all quantitative aEEG/EEG measures, causing depression of early brain activity [longer ISI (ß 2.900), reduced SAT rate (ß -1.386), decreased min aEEG (ß -0.782), and increased % of time < 5 µV (ß 14.802)] in all epochs. A significant effect of GA and postnatal age on aEEG/EEG measures was observed. Cumulative morphine dose until TEA had a significant negative effect on total brain volume (TBV) (ß -8.066) and cerebellar volume (ß -1.080). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of sedative drugs should be considered when interpreting aEEG/EEG together with the negative dose dependent morphine impact on brain development.

Introduction of Ultra-High-Field MR Imaging in Infants: Preparations and Feasibility.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral MR imaging in infants is usually performed with a field strength of up to 3T. In adults, a growing number of studies have shown added diagnostic value of 7T MR imaging. 7T MR imaging might be of additional value in infants with unexplained seizures, for example. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of 7T MR imaging in infants. We provide information about the safety preparations and show the first MR images of infants at 7T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specific absorption rate levels during 7T were simulated in Sim4life using infant and adult models. A newly developed acoustic hood was used to guarantee hearing protection. Acoustic noise damping of this hood was measured and compared with the 3T Nordell hood and no hood. In this prospective pilot study, clinically stable infants, between term-equivalent age and the corrected age of 3 months, underwent 7T MR imaging immediately after their standard 3T MR imaging. The 7T scan protocols were developed and optimized while scanning this cohort. RESULTS: Global and peak specific absorption rate levels in the infant model in the centered position and 50-mm feet direction did not exceed the levels in the adult model. Hearing protection was guaranteed with the new hood. Twelve infants were scanned. No MR imaging-related adverse events occurred. It was feasible to obtain good-quality imaging at 7T for MRA, MRV, SWI, single-shot T2WI, and MR spectroscopy. T1WI had lower quality at 7T. CONCLUSIONS: 7T MR imaging is feasible in infants, and good-quality scans could be obtained.

Automatic brain tissue segmentation in fetal MRI using convolutional neural networks.

MR images of fetuses allow clinicians to detect brain abnormalities in an early stage of development. The cornerstone of volumetric and morphologic analysis in fetal MRI is segmentation of the fetal brain into different tissue classes. Manual segmentation is cumbersome and time consuming, hence automatic segmentation could substantially simplify the procedure. However, automatic brain tissue segmentation in these scans is challenging owing to artifacts including intensity inhomogeneity, caused in particular by spontaneous fetal movements during the scan. Unlike methods that estimate the bias field to remove intensity inhomogeneity as a preprocessing step to segmentation, we propose to perform segmentation using a convolutional neural network that exploits images with synthetically introduced intensity inhomogeneity as data augmentation. The method first uses a CNN to extract the intracranial volume. Thereafter, another CNN with the same architecture is employed to segment the extracted volume into seven brain tissue classes: cerebellum, basal ganglia and thalami, ventricular cerebrospinal fluid, white matter, brain stem, cortical gray matter and extracerebral cerebrospinal fluid. To make the method applicable to slices showing intensity inhomogeneity artifacts, the training data was augmented by applying a combination of linear gradients with random offsets and orientations to image slices without artifacts. To evaluate the performance of the method, Dice coefficient (DC) and Mean surface distance (MSD) per tissue class were computed between automatic and manual expert annotations. When the training data was enriched by simulated intensity inhomogeneity artifacts, the average achieved DC over all tissue classes and images increased from 0.77 to 0.88, and MSD decreased from 0.78 mm to 0.37 mm. These results demonstrate that the proposed approach can potentially replace or complement preprocessing steps, such as bias field corrections, and thereby improve the segmentation performance.

Brain and CSF Volumes in Fetuses and Neonates with Antenatal Diagnosis of Critical Congenital Heart Disease: A Longitudinal MRI Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fetuses and neonates with critical congenital heart disease are at risk of delayed brain development and neurodevelopmental impairments. Our aim was to investigate the association between fetal and neonatal brain volumes and neonatal brain injury in a longitudinally scanned cohort with an antenatal diagnosis of critical congenital heart disease and to relate fetal and neonatal brain volumes to postmenstrual age and type of congenital heart disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, longitudinal study including 61 neonates with critical congenital heart disease undergoing surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass <30 days after birth and MR imaging of the brain; antenatally (33 weeks postmenstrual age), neonatal preoperatively (first week), and postoperatively (7 days postoperatively). Twenty-six had 3 MR imaging scans; 61 had at least 1 fetal and/or neonatal MR imaging scan. Volumes (cubic centimeters) were calculated for total brain volume, unmyelinated white matter, cortical gray matter, cerebellum, extracerebral CSF, and ventricular CSF. MR images were reviewed for ischemic brain injury. RESULTS: Total fetal brain volume, cortical gray matter, and unmyelinated white matter positively correlated with preoperative neonatal total brain volume, cortical gray matter, and unmyelinated white matter (r = 0.5-0.58); fetal ventricular CSF and extracerebral CSF correlated with neonatal ventricular CSF and extracerebral CSF (r = 0.64 and 0.82). Fetal cortical gray matter, unmyelinated white matter, and the cerebellum were negatively correlated with neonatal ischemic injury (r = -0.46 to -0.41); fetal extracerebral CSF and ventricular CSF were positively correlated with neonatal ischemic injury (r = 0.40 and 0.23). Unmyelinated white matter:total brain volume ratio decreased with increasing postmenstrual age, with a parallel increase of cortical gray matter:total brain volume and cerebellum:total brain volume. Fetal ventricular CSF:intracranial volume and extracerebral CSF:intracranial volume ratios decreased with increasing postmenstrual age; however, neonatal ventricular CSF:intracranial volume and extracerebral CSF:intracranial volume ratios increased with postmenstrual age. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that fetal brain volumes relate to neonatal brain volumes in critical congenital heart disease, with a negative correlation between fetal brain volumes and neonatal ischemic injury. Fetal brain imaging has the potential to provide early neurologic biomarkers.

Automatic extraction of the intracranial volume in fetal and neonatal MR scans using convolutional neural networks.

MR images of infants and fetuses allow non-invasive analysis of the brain. Quantitative analysis of brain development requires automatic brain tissue segmentation that is typically preceded by segmentation of the intracranial volume (ICV). Fast changes in the size and morphology of the developing brain, motion artifacts, and large variation in the field of view make ICV segmentation a challenging task. We propose an automatic method for segmentation of the ICV in fetal and neonatal MRI scans. The method was developed and tested with a diverse set of scans regarding image acquisition parameters (i.e. field strength, image acquisition plane, image resolution), infant age (23-45 weeks post menstrual age), and pathology (posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilatation, stroke, asphyxia, and Down syndrome). The results demonstrate that the method achieves accurate segmentation with a Dice coefficient (DC) ranging from 0.98 to 0.99 in neonatal and fetal scans regardless of image acquisition parameters or patient characteristics. Hence, the algorithm provides a generic tool for segmentation of the ICV that may be used as a preprocessing step for brain tissue segmentation in fetal and neonatal brain MR scans.

Predictive Role of F2-Isoprostanes as Biomarkers for Brain Damage after Neonatal Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Neonates have a high risk of oxidative stress during anesthetic procedures. The predictive role of oxidative stress biomarkers on the occurrence of brain injury in the perioperative period has not been reported before. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of patients requiring major surgery in the neonatal period was conducted. Biomarker levels of nonprotein-bound iron (NPBI) in plasma and F2-isoprostane in plasma and urine before and after surgical intervention were determined. Brain injury was assessed using postoperative MRI. RESULTS: In total, 61 neonates were included, median gestational age at 39 weeks (range 31-42) and weight at 3000 grams (1400-4400). Mild to moderate brain lesions were found in 66%. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant difference between plasma NPBI in patients with nonparenchymal injury versus no brain injury: 1.34 umol/L was identified as correlation threshold for nonparenchymal injury (sensitivity 67%, specificity 91%). In the multivariable analysis, correcting for GA, no other significant relation was found with the oxidative stress biomarkers and risk factors. CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress seems to occur during anaesthesia in this cohort of neonates. Plasma nonprotein-bound iron showed to be associated with nonparenchymal injury after surgery, with values of 1.34 umol/L or higher. Risk factors should be elucidated in a more homogeneous patient group.

Early postnatal allopurinol does not improve short term outcome after severe birth asphyxia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether postnatal allopurinol would reduce free radical induced reperfusion/reoxygenation injury of the brain in severely asphyxiated neonates. METHOD: In an interim analysis of a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study, 32 severely asphyxiated infants were given allopurinol or a vehicle within four hours of birth. RESULTS: The analysis showed an unaltered (high) mortality and morbidity in the infants treated with allopurinol. CONCLUSION: Allopurinol treatment started postnatally was too late to reduce the early reperfusion induced free radical surge. Allopurinol administration to the fetus with (imminent) hypoxia via the mother during labour may be more effective in reducing free radical induced post-asphyxial brain damage.

Placental pathology and outcome after perinatal asphyxia and therapeutic hypothermia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between placental pathology, pattern of brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcome in term infants with perinatal asphyxia receiving therapeutic hypothermia. STUDY DESIGN: Studies were performed in 76 infants. Death or survival with impairments at 18 to 24 months was used as a composite adverse outcome. Multivariable analysis was performed. RESULTS: Among the 75 infants analyzed, the predominant pattern of brain injury was: no injury (n=27), a white matter/watershed pattern (n=14), basal-ganglia-thalamic injury (n=13) or near-total brain injury (n=21). An adverse outcome was seen in 35 of the 76 infants. Elevated nucleated red blood cells were associated with white matter involvement. Small placental infarcts were more common among infants without brain injury. All other placental abnormalities were not related to both outcome measures. CONCLUSION: In our population of term infants receiving therapeutic hypothermia, no type of placental pathology was related to extensive brain injury or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.

Impact of neonate haematocrit variability on the longitudinal relaxation time of blood: Implications for arterial spin labelling MRI.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The longitudinal relaxation time of blood (T 1b) is influenced by haematocrit (Hct) which is known to vary in neonates. The purpose of this study was threefold: to obtain T 1b values in neonates, to investigate how the T 1b influences quantitative arterial spin labelling (ASL), and to evaluate if known relationships between T 1b and haematocrit (Hct) hold true when Hct is measured by means of a point-of-care device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and four neonates with 120 MR scan sessions (3 T) were included. The T 1b was obtained from a T 1 inversion recovery sequence. T 1b-induced changes in ASL cerebral blood flow estimates were evaluated. The Hct was obtained by means of a point-of-care device. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the relation between Hct and MRI-derived R1 of blood (the inverse of the T 1b). RESULTS: Mean T 1b was 1.85 s (sd 0.2 s). The mean T 1b in preterm neonates was 1.77 s, 1.89 s in preterm neonates scanned at term-equivalent age (TEA) and 1.81 s in diseased neonates. The T 1b in the TEA was significantly different from the T 1b in the preterm (p < 0.05). The change in perfusion induced by the T 1b was -11% (sd 9.1%, p < 0.001). The relation between arterial-drawn Hct and R1b was R1b = 0.80 × Hct + 0.22, which falls within the confidence interval of the previously established relationships, whereas capillary-drawn Hct did not correlate with R1b. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated a wide variability of the T 1b in neonates and the implications it could have in methods relying on the actual T 1b as for instance ASL. It was concluded that arterial-drawn Hct values obtained from a point-of-care device can be used to infer the T 1b whereas our data did not support the use of capillary-drawn Hct for T 1b correction.