Early Post-cooling Brain Magnetic Resonance for the Prediction of Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

AIM AND

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the predictive role of early post-cooling brain magnetic resonance for developmental outcome in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed on 29 consecutive patients through magnetic resonance evaluation (visual analysis of the images and scoring of the detected lesions; mean diffusivity of semioval centre and lenticular nuclei; and area under the curve of basal ganglia N-acetylaspartate at proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging) and Griffiths Mental Development Scales-third edition at 12 and 24 months.

RESULTS

Brain magnetic resonance was performed at a mean age of 5.7 ± 3.7 days. Newborns with no/minor magnetic resonance abnormalities had a better developmental outcome than patients with moderate or severe lesions. Structural and spectroscopic abnormalities in basal ganglia resulted in the most significant predictors for an unfavorable outcome.

CONCLUSION

Normal magnetic resonance in early post-cooling phases is strongly associated with a favorable developmental outcome.