Long-term effects of enriched environment following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia on behavior, BDNF and synaptophysin levels in rat hippocampus: Effect of combined treatment with G-CSF.

Increasing evidence shows that exposure to an enriched environment (EE) is neuroprotective in adult and neonatal animal models of brain ischemia. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether post-weaning EE would be effective in preventing functional deficits and brain damage by affecting markers of synaptic plasticity in a neonatal rat model of hypoxia-ischemia (HI).

Early abnormal amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is associated with adverse short-term outcome in premature infants.

Background: In preterm infants with IVH the electrocortical background activity is affected and there is a correlation between the severity of cerebral injury to the degree of depression, however the usefulness of the early aEEG recordings has hardly been determined.

Aim: To identify early aEEG features that could be used as prognostic markers for severe brain injury in prematures.

Methods: In 115 infants, 25-32 wk GA, aEEG recordings during the first 72 h of life were correlated with head ultrasound findings.

The influence of extrauterine life on the aEEG maturation in normal preterm infants.

Objective: To study, the maturational changes of the amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) in preterm infants without neurological disorders and especially the influence of the duration of extrauterine life, over this process.

Methods: 96 preterm infants, 25-34weeks' gestational age (GA) at birth, clinically stable and without ultrasonographic evidence of neurological abnormalities, were studied. The aEEG recordings were obtained within 72 h of life and then weekly until discharge.