Electrophysiological answer to a checkerboard stimulus: A pilot study

Abstract

Electroencephalography is a clinical signal that reveals the brain's electrical activity. In this category, the Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) is one of the most frequent measures, especially when it is necessary to assess the maturity and function of the central visual system. The Electrodermal Activity (EDA) data gives information about skin conductance, and it is used to evaluate autonomic sympathetic reactions, often related to neuropsychological states. It could be used with all ages and in young subjects with healthy development or clinical practice with children with atypical development. In this paper, we propose an experimental setup based on checkerboard stimuli to assess the evolution of visual system development of preterm infants. This experimental protocol was applied to two female preterm born infants of 4 and 6 months of corrected age. The preliminary findings show that, as expected, the P100 latencies and amplitude are still different from those expected for adults and older children. However, the older infant presents results more similar to adults, corresponding to having a more mature visual system. Concerning EDA, it was observed that the older infant presents more responses to the stimulus, a higher level of skin conductance, and a shorter latency time than the younger infant, which is congruent with what is expected, given the maturation of the nervous system. The methodology used in this pilot application and the algorithm defined seem adequate to use in a longitudinal study to follow the evolution of preterm and term infants.