Abstract
BACKGROUND: Neonatal seizures remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The past decade has resulted in substantial progress in seizure detection and understanding the impact seizures have on the developing brain. Optical monitoring such as cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and broadband NIRS can provide non-invasive continuous real-time monitoring of the changes in brain metabolism and haemodynamics. AIM: To perform a systematic review of optical biomarkers to identify changes in cerebral haemodynamics and metabolism during the pre-ictal, ictal, and post-ictal phases of neonatal seizures. METHOD: A systematic search was performed in eight databases. The search combined the three broad categories: (neonates) AND (NIRS) AND (seizures) using the stepwise approach following PRISMA guidance. RESULTS: Fifteen papers described the haemodynamic and/or metabolic changes observed with NIRS during neonatal seizures. No randomised controlled trials were identified during the search. Studies reported various changes occurring in the pre-ictal, ictal, and post-ictal phases of seizures. CONCLUSION: Clear changes in cerebral haemodynamics and metabolism were noted during the pre-ictal, ictal, and post-ictal phases of seizures in neonates. Further studies are necessary to determine whether NIRS-based methods can be used at the cot-side to provide clear pathophysiological data in real-time during neonatal seizures.