Automated EEG-sleep analyses and neonatal neurointensive care.

Clinical applications of neonatal EEG-sleep studies can improve neurointensive care for preterm and fullterm infants. Behavioral and physiologic assessments of neonatal sleep by nursing and physician personnel can result in more developmentally appropriate state regulation for infants, particularly for those who require medical care for many weeks to months in the intensive care unit. Secondly, prediction of altered expressions of EEG-sleep patterns for those children at higher risk for neurological sequelae can anticipate the need for aggressive interventional strategies. The application of digital analyses of specific cerebral and noncerebral physiologic measures for long-term monitoring periods can utilize efficient and novel strategies of automated EEG and sleep state identification which can also assist in daily medical care and prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome.