Abstract
The effect of sleep state on the visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in neonates was investigated in seven preterm infants. Polygraphic monitoring including EEG, EOG, ECG, respirogram and submental EMG for the purpose of sleep staging was carried out on all infants simultaneously with VEP testing. Awake-sleep states were divided into four: awake, transitional or atypical, quiet sleep, and active sleep. VEPs were recorded from Oz, referenced to Fz, in response to binocular stimulation with light emitting diode goggles.
Polygraphic and EEG data were analysed separately. Reproducible VEPs were seen in all infants in the awake state that were appropriate for their ages. The N300 was the most reliable component across sleep states but there was a significant decrease in amplitude with quiet sleep [f(3.69) = 8.1, p<0.0001]. There were no signficant differences among awake, atypical, or active sleep states. The other two VEP components followed the same trends as the N300. The P200, present in the older infants, disappeared in both active and quiet sleep states; the P400 was typically variable but reliably present in the awake or atypical states.
When a distinction is made between quiet sleep and other arousal states, consistent and significant differences emerge. Our results emphasize the need to test infants in the same arousal states in studies of VEPs in order to make valid comparisons of latency or amplitude changes, particularly with longitudinal or follow-up studies.
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Whyte, H., Pearce, J. & Taylor, M. 134 CHANGES IN VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIALS WITH AROUSAL STATES IN PRETERM NEONATES. Pediatr Res 20, 1056 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198610000-00189
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198610000-00189