Early Electroencephalogram to Predict Severity of Injury in Infants With Abusive Traumatic Brain Injury

This study explored the hypothesis that specific electroencephalographic (EEG) findings may correlate with outcomes in children with abusive head trauma. A retrospective chart review was conducted on children <2 years of age who were hospitalized after suspected abusive head trauma between 2015 and 2021. Based on validated scoring systems, a primary analysis was performed to correlate background EEG scores against magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scores and neurofunctional outcomes. A secondary analysis was performed to correlate seizure burden against MRI and neurofunctional outcomes. Significant positive correlations (Spearman rank) were discovered between background EEG scores and MRI scores (0.338, P = .011) as well as between background EEG scores and motor functional scores at 1-6 months (0.332, P = .017) and 7-12 months (0.386, P = .08). Seizure burden and sensory functional scores showed positive but statistically insignificant correlations. In conclusion, for children with abusive head trauma, background EEG is an early marker of prognosis whereas seizure burden requires additional study.