The Little Book of Irish Science SFI Little Book of Irish Science | Page 77

But here’s the problem: seizures can be very diffi cult
to detect in newborns as there may be no obvious
outward signs that the baby is experiencing one
and this makes intervention and treatment very
diffi cult. The only accurate tool for diagnosis is
EEG monitoring, a measure of electrical brain
activity, but newborn EEG interpretation is a highly
specialised skill and few experts are available. Prof
Geraldine Boylan, co-director of the centre, has
been carrying out research with collaborators into
automating EEG interpretation so that seizures can
be detected reliably by non-speciailists in the NICU.
www.infantcentre.ie