BACKGROUNDANDPURPOSE Neurologic morbidity remains high in neonates with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic injury despite therapeutic hypothermia. DTI provides qualitative and quantitative information about the microstructure of the brain, and a near-infrared spectroscopy index can assess cerebrovascular autoregulation. We hypothesized that lower ADC values would correlate with worse autoregulatory function. MATERIALSANDMETHODS Thirty-one neonates with hypoxic-ischemic injury were enrolled. ADC scalars were measured in 27 neonates (age range, 4–15 days) in the anterior and posterior centrum semiovale, basal ganglia, thalamus, posterior limb of the internal capsule, pons, and middle cerebellar peduncle on MRI obtained after completion of therapeutic hypothermia. The blood pressure range of each neonate with the most robust autoregulation was identified by using a near-infrared spectroscopy index. Autoregulatory function was measured by blood pressure deviation below the range with optimal autoregulation. RESULTS In neonates who had MRI on day of life ≥10, lower ADC scalars in the posterior centrum semiovale (r = −0.87, P = .003, n = 9) and the posterior limb of the internal capsule (r = −0.68, P = .04, n = 9) correlated with blood pressure deviation below the range with optimal autoregulation during hypothermia. Lower ADC scalars in the basal ganglia correlated with worse autoregulation during rewarming (r = −0.71, P = .05, n = 8). CONCLUSIONS Blood pressure deviation from the optimal autoregulatory range may be an early biomarker of injury in the posterior centrum semiovale, posterior limb of the internal capsule, and basal ganglia. Optimizing blood pressure to support autoregulation may decrease the risk of brain injury in cooled neonates with hypoxic-ischemic injury.

OBJECTIVEPrior to therapeutic hypothermia (i.e., cooling), transfontanellar duplex brain sonography resistive indices (RI) were studied as bedside non-invasive measures of cerebral hemodynamics in neonates who suffered from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). We compared pre- and post-cooling RI values and examined the relationships between RI values and specific long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.STUDY DESIGNTransfontanellar duplex brain sonography, including RI, were obtained for 28 neonates prior to brain cooling and for 20 neonates following brain cooling. All RI values were sampled in the anterior cerebral artery at the beginning of each ultrasound study. Neurodevelopmental assessment was conducted between ages 20-32 months with the Mullen Scale of Early Learning. The relationships between pre- and post-cooling RI and cognitive and motor outcomes were studied.RESULTNeonates with RI values <0.60 prior to and following cooling were more likely to die or have severe neurodevelopmental disability by ages 20-32 months than those with RI >0.60. Lower RI values were associated with specific neurodevelopmental deficits in motor skill attainment.CONCLUSIONPre- and post-cooling transfontanellar duplex brain sonography RI values may be a useful prognostic tool, in conjunction with other clinical information, for neonates diagnosed with HIE. The results of this study suggest that further study of the prognostic value of RI values for short- and long-term outcomes is warranted.

Early studies following perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) suggested expressive language deficits and academic difficulties, but there is only limited detailed study of language development in this population since the widespread adoption of therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Expressive and receptive language testing was performed as part of a larger battery with 45 children with a mean age of 26 months following perinatal HIE treated with TH. Overall cohort outcomes as well as the effects of gender, estimated household income, initial pH and base excess, and pattern of injury on neonatal brain MRI were assessed. The cohort overall demonstrated expressive language subscore, visual-reception subscore, and early learning composite scores significantly below test norms, with relative sparing of receptive language subscores. Poorer expressive language manifested as decreased vocabulary size and shorter utterances. Expressive language subscores showed a significant gender effect, and estimated socioeconomic status showed a significant effect on both receptive and expressive language subscores. Initial blood gas markers and modified Sarnat scoring did not show a significant effect on language subscores. Binarized MRI abnormality predicted a significant effect on both receptive and expressive language subscores; the presence of specific cortical/subcortical abnormalities predicted receptive language deficits. Overall, the language development profile of children following HIE in the era of hypothermia shows a relative strength in receptive language. Gender and socioeconomic status predominantly predict expressive language deficits; abnormalities detectable on MRI predominantly predict receptive language deficits.

Objective Head ultrasonography (HUS) is a reliable and easy to perform bedside imaging technique that can give valuable information about degree of brain injury/edema after perinatal asphyxia in term neonates. The goals of our study were to determine whether semiquantitative markers such as standardized white matter/gray matter (WM/GM) echogenicity ratio and resistive index (RI) value measured by HUS differs between asphyxiated term neonates and healthy controls. Study Design Thirty-one carefully selected term neonates who suffered from perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) were included in the study. The ratio of the WM/GM echogenicity of the cingulate gyrus was calculated. In addition, the RI value was measured in the anterior cerebral artery. US scalars were compared with 11 healthy neonates. Result WM/GM ratio is significantly increased and RI value significantly decreased in asphyxiated term neonates compared with healthy subjects. Conclusion WM/GM ratio and RI value allows discriminating between asphyxiated neonates and healthy subjects. These US scalars may serve as valuable, easy to acquire semiquantitative bedside markers of brain HIE, when magnetic resonance imaging is unavailable or cannot be performed in the acute setting.