EEG Abnormalities as Predictor of Outcome in Pediatric Encephalopathy

September 12, 2026 updated by: Esraa Mondy Tamer, Assiut University

Electroencephalographic (EEG) Abnormalities as a Predictor of Poor Outcome in Pediatric Encephalopathy

This prospective cohort study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities in predicting poor clinical outcomes among children with encephalopathy admitted to Assiut University Children Hospital.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

Pediatric encephalopathy has multiple etiologies and variable neurological outcomes. Early prognostic assessment is essential for clinical decision-making and family counseling. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive tool that may help predict neurological outcome.

This prospective observational study will include children aged 1 month to 18 years with clinical diagnosis of encephalopathy. EEG will be performed within the first 48 hours of admission. Neurological outcome will be assessed at hospital discharge using the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scale. A PCPC score of 1-2 will be considered good outcome and a score of ≥3 will be considered poor outcome.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

147

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Name: Esraa M Tamer, Resident
Phone Number: +20 11 58780125
Email: Esraa.17289969@med.aun.edu.eg

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

Child
Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children aged 1 month to 18 years admitted with encephalopathy to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Neurology Unit, or Emergency Unit of Assiut University Children Hospital.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age from 1 month to 18 years
Clinical diagnosis of encephalopathy with altered level of consciousness
EEG performed within the first 48 hours of admission
Written informed consent from parents or legal guardians

Exclusion Criteria:

Neonatal encephalopathy
Children with severe pre-existing neurological disability
Known epileptic patients
Incomplete clinical or EEG data

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Number of groups / cohorts

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Single cohort: Children with encephalopathy Children aged 1 month to 18 years with clinical diagnosis of encephalopathy who will undergo EEG within the first 48 hours of admission and will be assessed for neurological outcome at hospital discharge using the PCPC scale.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Poor neurological outcome at hospital discharge Time Frame: at 30 days	Proportion of children with poor neurological outcome defined as Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) score ≥3 at hospital discharge.	at 30 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Frequency of EEG abnormalities Time Frame: Within the first 48 hours of admission	Proportion of children with specific EEG abnormalities (diffuse background slowing, background suppression, burst suppression, absent reactivity, low-voltage activity, or electrographic seizures) recorded within the first 48 hours of admission.	Within the first 48 hours of admission
Predictive performance of EEG abnormalities for poor outcome Time Frame: at 30 days	Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of specific EEG abnormalities for poor neurological outcome (PCPC ≥3) at hospital discharge.	at 30 days
Mortality Time Frame: at 30 days	Proportion of children who die during hospital stay.	at 30 days
Duration of PICU stay Time Frame: at 30 days	Length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit in days.	at 30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Assiut University

Investigators

Study Chair: Gamal A Asker, prof, pediatrics Department, Assiut University Hospitals

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

September 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 10, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 10, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 9, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)