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Depression of cortical neuronal activity after a low-dose fentanyl in preterm infants

Nilsson, Sofie LU orcid ; Tokariev, Anton ; Vehviläinen, Timo ; Fellman, Vineta LU orcid ; Vanhatalo, Sampsa LU and Norman, Elisabeth LU (2025) In Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics 114(1). p.109-115
Abstract

Aim: Opioids might be harmful to the developing brain and dosing accuracy is important. We aimed at investigating fentanyl effects on cortical activity in infants using computational re-analysis of bedside recorded EEG signals. Methods: Fifteen infants born at median 26.4 gestational weeks (range 23.3–34.1), with a birth weight 740 grams (530–1420) and postnatal age 7 days (5–11) received fentanyl 0.5 or 2 μg/kg intravenously before a skin-breaking procedure or tracheal intubation, respectively. Cortical activity was continuously recorded using amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG). Analyses using three computational EEG features representing cortical synchrony and signal power, were conducted five minutes pre- and 10... (More)

Aim: Opioids might be harmful to the developing brain and dosing accuracy is important. We aimed at investigating fentanyl effects on cortical activity in infants using computational re-analysis of bedside recorded EEG signals. Methods: Fifteen infants born at median 26.4 gestational weeks (range 23.3–34.1), with a birth weight 740 grams (530–1420) and postnatal age 7 days (5–11) received fentanyl 0.5 or 2 μg/kg intravenously before a skin-breaking procedure or tracheal intubation, respectively. Cortical activity was continuously recorded using amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG). Analyses using three computational EEG features representing cortical synchrony and signal power, were conducted five minutes pre- and 10 minutes post the drug administration. Results: Visual assessment of trends displayed from the EEG metrics did not indicate systematic changes. However, the magnitude of the changes in the parietal and right hemisphere signals after the dose was significantly correlated (ρ < −0.5, p < 0.05) to the EEG amplitude and frequency power level before drug administration. This effect started after 3–4 min. Conclusion: Fentanyl, even in small doses, may affect cortical activity in the preterm brain. The effect is robustly related to the state of cortical activity prior to drug treatment, which must be taken into account when analysing the effects of sedative drugs.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
brain monitoring, EEG analysis, fentanyl, newborn, sedative drug
in
Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics
volume
114
issue
1
pages
109 - 115
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:39258825
  • scopus:85203539393
ISSN
0803-5253
DOI
10.1111/apa.17411
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.
id
2e67bf9f-1b02-4834-baba-6a73f665c220
date added to LUP
2024-12-04 08:34:37
date last changed
2025-07-03 02:04:52
@article{2e67bf9f-1b02-4834-baba-6a73f665c220,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aim: Opioids might be harmful to the developing brain and dosing accuracy is important. We aimed at investigating fentanyl effects on cortical activity in infants using computational re-analysis of bedside recorded EEG signals. Methods: Fifteen infants born at median 26.4 gestational weeks (range 23.3–34.1), with a birth weight 740 grams (530–1420) and postnatal age 7 days (5–11) received fentanyl 0.5 or 2 μg/kg intravenously before a skin-breaking procedure or tracheal intubation, respectively. Cortical activity was continuously recorded using amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG). Analyses using three computational EEG features representing cortical synchrony and signal power, were conducted five minutes pre- and 10 minutes post the drug administration. Results: Visual assessment of trends displayed from the EEG metrics did not indicate systematic changes. However, the magnitude of the changes in the parietal and right hemisphere signals after the dose was significantly correlated (ρ &lt; −0.5, p &lt; 0.05) to the EEG amplitude and frequency power level before drug administration. This effect started after 3–4 min. Conclusion: Fentanyl, even in small doses, may affect cortical activity in the preterm brain. The effect is robustly related to the state of cortical activity prior to drug treatment, which must be taken into account when analysing the effects of sedative drugs.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Sofie and Tokariev, Anton and Vehviläinen, Timo and Fellman, Vineta and Vanhatalo, Sampsa and Norman, Elisabeth}},
  issn         = {{0803-5253}},
  keywords     = {{brain monitoring; EEG analysis; fentanyl; newborn; sedative drug}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{109--115}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics}},
  title        = {{Depression of cortical neuronal activity after a low-dose fentanyl in preterm infants}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apa.17411}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/apa.17411}},
  volume       = {{114}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}