Magnetic Resonance Imaging During Therapeutic Hypothermia Accurately Reflects the Degree of Brain Injury in Neonates with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Abstract

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively from a cohort of 114 neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained during therapeutic hypothermia showed 95% concordance with MRI obtained at a median postnatal age of 11 days in regard to injury pattern and severity. These results support MRIs during therapeutic hypothermia as a reliable tool to assess brain injury, facilitating timely clinical decisions, parental counseling, and trial enrollment.

Keywords: birth asphyxia; hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; magnetic resonance imaging; therapeutic hypothermia.