From Breath to Brain: NICU respiratory interventions and bedside brain signal entropy predict later autism risk.

ABSTRACT: Premature infants often experience hypoxia and require prolonged ventilation, which can trigger systemic inflammation, damage the developing brain, and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is key for ensuring optimal outcomes for those with ASD; thus emphasizing the critical importance of accurately identifying infants at risk as early as possible. Here, infants underwent electroencephalography during social (held) and nonsocial (not held) resting state conditions to assess brain signal variability, saliva collection to determine inflammation, calculation of a novel Prognostic Respiratory Intensity Scoring Metric (PRISM) to assess the burden of respiratory support, and ASD testing in toddlerhood. Higher PRISM scores we

SUBMITTER: Nance MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12861191 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature