Investigating the relationship between respiration and brain activity
Premature infants have immature respiratory control which can result in irregular breathing patterns. Factors such as time spent on ventilators also means that respiratory disorders are common in premature infants. Despite this, relatively little is known about the relationship between respiration and the brain in preterm infants. We are conducting a systematic review (registered on Prospero) to explore the current knowledge on the relationship between respiration and brain activity recorded using EEG in infants. We are also conducting a prospective study to investigate the relationship between respiration and EEG activity in infants between 28 – 42 weeks’ gestation, and how this relationship changes with age.