Does indomethacin for closure of patent ductus arteriosus affect cerebral function?

Objective: To study whether indomethacin used in conventional dose for closure of patent ductus arteriosus affects cerebral function measured by electroencephalograms (EEG) evaluated by quantitative measures.
Study Design: Seven premature neonates with haemodynamically significant persistent ductus arteriosus were recruited. EEG were recorded before, during and after an intravenous infusion of 0.2 mg/kg indomethacin over 10 min. The EEG was analysed by two methods with different degrees of complexity for the amount of low-activity periods (LAP, "suppressions") as an indicator of affection of cerebral function.
Results: Neither of the two methods identified any change in the amount of LAPs in the EEG as compared to before the indomethacin infusion.
Conclusion: Indomethacin in conventional dose for closure of patent ductus arteriosus does not affect cerebral function as evaluated by quantitative EEG.
(© 2010 The Author(s)/Journal Compilation © 2010 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.)