| Improved neonatal intensive care over the last decades has led to significant lower mortality in preterm infants with an extreme low birth weight. However, as a result of this lower mortality, the prevalence of neurological damage like cerebral palsy, but also minor neurological deficits, has increased in these preterm infants. Prevention of neurological damage has therefore become one of the most important topics in modern neonatology. For a better understanding of neurological functions in the preterm and neonatal period, several neurological and neurophysiological methods (General Movements, aEEG, reflexes) are available. As yet, knowledge about reliability and validity of these methods for future neurological functioning is not clear. Therefore, the goal of our project is to determine the significance of neurological and neurophysiological phenomena for future neurological functioning. Several retrospective and prospective longitudinal studies in the neonatal period are needed to analyse both neurological and neurophysiological phenomena. These phenomena should be related to neurological findings at toddler age and also to perinatal factors which are thought to be harmful for the developing brain. The results of this project would give a clear prospect on the validity and reliability of several neurological and neurophysiological phenomena. Both knowledge about these phenomena and knowledge about perinatal factors that are potentially harmful to the developing brain could provide a better understanding of prevention and treatment of neurological damage. In this way, it could optimize future neurological functioning. |
