Background and Objectives:Seizures are common during neonatal encephalopathy, but the contribution of seizure burden to outcomes remains controversial. This study aims to examine the relationship between electrographic seizure burden and neurological outcomes after neonatal encephalopathy.Methods:This prospective cohort study recruited newborns ≥36 weeks PMA around 6 hours of life between August 2014 to November 2019 from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Participants underwent continuous electroencephalography for at least 48 hours, brain MRI within 3-5 days of life, and structured follow-up at 18 months. Electrographic seizures were identified by board-certified neurophysiologists, and quantified as total seizure burden and maximum hourly seizure burden. A medication exposure score was calculated based on all anti-seizure medications given during NICU admission. Brain MRI injury severity was classified based on basal ganglia and watershed scores. Developmental outcomes were measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rdEdition. Multivariable regression analyses were performed, adjusting for significant potential confounders.Results:Of 108 enrolled subjects, 98 subjects had cEEG and MRI data collected, of which 5 were lost to follow-up, and 6 died before age 18 months. All subjects with moderate-severe encephalopathy completed therapeutic hypothermia. cEEG-confirmed neonatal seizures occurred in 21(24%) newborns, with a total seizure burden mean of 12.5 ± 36.4 minutes, and a maximum hourly seizure burden mean of 4 ± 10 min/hr. After adjusting for MRI brain injury severity and medication exposure, total seizure burden was significantly associated with lower cognitive (-0.21, 95%CI -0.33 – -0.08, p=0.002) and language (-0.25, 95%CI -0.39 – -0.11, p=0.001) scores at 18 months. Total seizure burden of 60 minutes was associated with 15-point decline in language scores, and 70 minutes for cognitive scores. However, seizure burden was not significantly associated with epilepsy, neuromotor score, or cerebral palsy (p>0.1).Discussion:Higher seizure burden during neonatal encephalopathy was independently associated with worse cognitive and language scores at 18 months, even after adjusting for exposure to anti-seizure medications and severity of brain injury. These observations support the hypothesis that neonatal seizures occurring during neonatal encephalopathy independently contribute to long-term outcomes.
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