Physiotherapy - Research Publications

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    Continuum of neurobehaviour and its associations with brain MRI in infants born preterm
    Eeles, AL ; Walsh, JM ; Olsen, JE ; Cuzzilla, R ; Thompson, DK ; Anderson, PJ ; Doyle, LW ; Cheong, JLY ; Spittle, AJ (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2017-10)
    BACKGROUND: Infants born very preterm (VPT) and moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT) are at increased risk of long-term neurodevelopmental deficits, but how these deficits relate to early neurobehaviour in MLPT children is unclear. The aims of this study were to compare the neurobehavioural performance of infants born across three different gestational age groups: preterm <30 weeks' gestational age (PT<30); MLPT (32-36 weeks' gestational age) and term age (≥37 weeks' gestational age), and explore the relationships between MRI brain abnormalities and neurobehaviour at term-equivalent age. METHODS: Neurobehaviour was assessed at term-equivalent age in 149 PT<30, 200 MLPT and 200 term-born infants using the Neonatal Intensive Care UnitNetwork Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS), the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) and Prechtl's Qualitative Assessment of General Movements (GMA). A subset of 110 PT<30 and 198 MLPT infants had concurrent brain MRI. RESULTS: Proportions with abnormal neurobehaviour on the NNNS and the HNNE, and abnormal GMA all increased with decreasing gestational age. Higher brain MRI abnormality scores in some regions were associated with suboptimal neurobehaviour on the NNNS and HNNE. The relationships between brain MRI abnormality scores and suboptimal neurobehaviour were similar in both PT<30 and MLPT infants. The relationship between brain MRI abnormality scores and abnormal GMA was stronger in PT<30 infants. CONCLUSIONS: There was a continuum of neurobehaviour across gestational ages. The relationships between brain abnormality scores and suboptimal neurobehaviour provide evidence that neurobehavioural assessments offer insight into the integrity of the developing brain, and may be useful in earlier identification of the highest-risk infants.
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    Physiological stress responses in infants at 29-32 weeks' postmenstrual age during clustered nursing cares and standardised neurobehavioural assessments
    Allinson, LG ; Denehy, L ; Doyle, LW ; Eeles, AL ; Dawson, JA ; Lee, KJ ; Spittle, AJ (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2017-11)
    OBJECTIVE: To compare the physiological stress responses of infants born <30 weeks' gestational age when undergoing clustered nursing cares with standardised neurobehavioural assessments in neonatal nurseries. DESIGN/METHODS: Thirty-four infants born <30 weeks' gestation were recruited from a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit. Heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation were recorded during clustered nursing cares and during standardised neurobehavioural assessments (including the General Movements Assessment, Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination and Premie-Neuro Assessment). Two assessors extracted HR and oxygen saturations at 5 s intervals, with HR instability defined either as tachycardia (HR >180 beats per minute (bpm)) or bradycardia (HR <100 bpm). Oxygen desaturations were defined as SpO2<90%. Physiological stability was compared between nursing cares and neurobehavioural assessments using linear (for continuous outcomes) and logistic (HR instability and oxygen desaturation) regression. RESULTS: Compared with clustered nursing cares HR was lower (mean difference -5.9 bpm; 95% CI -6.5 to 5.3; P<0.001) and oxygen saturation higher (mean difference 2.4%; 95% CI 2.1% to 2.6%; P<0.001) during standardised neurobehavioural assessments. Compared with clustered nursing cares neurobehavioural assessments were also associated with reduced odds of tachycardia (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.86), HR instability (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.85) and oxygen desaturation (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Standardised neurobehavioural assessments are associated with less physiological stress than clustered nursing cares in infants aged 29-32 weeks' postmenstrual age, and are therefore possible without causing undue physiological disturbance in medically stable infants.