Early outcome-prediction with an automated EEG background trend in hypothermia-treated newborns with encephalopathy

Brain State of the Newborn (BSN) is a deep learning-based EEG trend displaying electrocortical activity as numerical values. Here we establish that BSN trends over the first 48 h differ between infants with moderate versus severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and is highly predictive of long-term outcome. This is the first study applying BSN trends in a cohort of exclusively hypothermia-treated infants, demonstrating its value for outcome-prediction already from the first 12 h after birth. The BSN provides a continuous bedside evaluation of brain function that complements the visual aEEG/EEG review and can assist bedside assessments in neonatal intensive care units.