Affiliations: Department of Neurology, Assiut University Hospital,
Assiut, Egypt | Department of Pediatrics, Assiut University Hospital,
Assiut, Egypt | Audiology Unit, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut,
Egypt
Note: [] Correspondence: Sherifa A. Hamed, MBBch., MSc., M.D., Department
of Neurology and Psychiatry, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, P.O. Box
71516, Egypt. Tel.: +2 088 2371820; Fax: +2 088 2333327, +2 088 2332278;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Prediction of neurological sequelae following hypoxic-ischemic
encephalopathy is difficult. In the present study, the prognostic value of
multimodal evoked potentials including visual evoked potentials (VEPs),
auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and somatosensory evoked potentials,
recorded within the first week after birth, was determined in relation to
adverse neurological outcome for 20 asphyxiated term-infants at 1~year of age.
Five infants developed severe neurological sequelae (spastic quadriplegia,
diplegia, choreoathetosis), two had delayed milestones, one died while 12 were
normal. The combined utilization of VEPs and ABRs were highly predictive for
outcome, allowing 100% and 88.9% positive and negative predictive values
respectively compared to 71.4% (positive predictive value) and 77%
(negative predictive value) for somatosensory evoked potentials. This study
confirms that evoked potentials are accurate tools and useful adjuncts to
clinical assessment for predicting outcome of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Their accuracy increased when VEPs and ABRs are used concordantly.
