Amplitude Integrated Electroencephalography - Reference Values in Children Aged 2 months to 16 years

Aim: Amplitude integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is a bedside neuromonitoring tool, standard within neonatal critical care provision. Its application in children is increasing but normative data underpinning such use are lacking. We present a dataset of normative aEEG values for children aged 2 months to 16 years.

Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study derives aEEG normative amplitude characteristics from electroencephalograms (EEGs) recorded in Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin. aEEG was derived from 350 normal EEGs, recorded in children aged 2 months to 16 years. Supplementary aEEGs were derived from children with abnormal EEG traces. Median upper and lower margin amplitudes and bandwidth were calculated from 5 min waking and sleeping EEG epochs.

Results: aEEG amplitudes vary with age and state, increasing over the first 2 years of life before diminishing. Upper and lower margin amplitudes and bandwidth are greater during sleep for children <6 years. Reference ranges may be cohorted into two groups (upper and lower reference limits; <6 years - 38 μV/7 μV awake, 54 μV/10 μV asleep; >6 years - 33 μV/5 μV awake, 36 μV/6 μV asleep).

Conclusion: aEEG traces evolve with age in childhood and differ from neonatal values. We provide a comprehensive set of aEEG normatives to facilitate clinical interpretation in older children.