On the same day of the aEEG recording, infants underwent a non-sedated, non-contrast brain MRI following our institutional neonatal MRI guidelines.17 (link) T1 and T2 images were obtained using Siemens TIM Trio 3.0 T MRI scanner (Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany).
An MRI scoring tool adapted from Kidokoro et al.18 (link) was used, which combines quantitative and qualitative measurements of brain abnormalities in preterm infants at TEA. The quantitative scoring included: dilated lateral ventricles dimensions (score 0 to 3), biparietal diameter (corrected to the GA, scored 0 to 3), interhemispheric distance (score 0 to 3), deep gray matter volume (corrected to the GA, scored 0 to 3), and cerebellar volume (corrected to the GA and scored 0 to 3). Qualitative scoring included: white matter cystic lesions, white matter focal signal abnormality, myelination delay, cortical gray matter signal abnormality, gyral maturation, deep gray matter signal abnormality, and cerebellar signal abnormality. The variables were scored by an experienced reader (AMM) blinded to the clinical information of the patients and the corresponding aEEG measures. The abnormality scoring system was divided into four grades: normal (0 to 3), mild (4 to 7), moderate (8 to 11), and severe (> 12), for the preterm brain at TEA.
An MRI scoring tool adapted from Kidokoro et al.18 (link) was used, which combines quantitative and qualitative measurements of brain abnormalities in preterm infants at TEA. The quantitative scoring included: dilated lateral ventricles dimensions (score 0 to 3), biparietal diameter (corrected to the GA, scored 0 to 3), interhemispheric distance (score 0 to 3), deep gray matter volume (corrected to the GA, scored 0 to 3), and cerebellar volume (corrected to the GA and scored 0 to 3). Qualitative scoring included: white matter cystic lesions, white matter focal signal abnormality, myelination delay, cortical gray matter signal abnormality, gyral maturation, deep gray matter signal abnormality, and cerebellar signal abnormality. The variables were scored by an experienced reader (AMM) blinded to the clinical information of the patients and the corresponding aEEG measures. The abnormality scoring system was divided into four grades: normal (0 to 3), mild (4 to 7), moderate (8 to 11), and severe (> 12), for the preterm brain at TEA.
