Table 1.

Proposed pediatric cerebral dysfunction grading scale

EEG features	Severity of cerebral dysfunction
	Normal	Mild	Mild-moderate	Moderate	Moderate-severe	Severe	Lack of cerebral rhythms
Posterior dominant rhythm (PDR)	Normal for age 2–4 mo, 3–4 Hz By 6 mo, 4–6 Hz By 12 mo, 5–7 Hz By 3 y, 8 Hz By 10 y, > 8.5 Hz	Detectable PDR but slower than expected	Features of both mild and moderate dysfunction	Absent	Features of Both Moderate and Severe Dysfunction	Absent	No detectible cerebral activitya
Predominant frequencies	Normal admixture Normal organization	Diffuse slowing Poor organization		Diffuse slowing Loss of organization		Monotonous and limited frequenciesb Attenuated featureless
Sleep architecture	Presentc	Presentc		Absent		Absent
State changes	Presentc	Presentc		Present		Absent or SIRPIDs only
Reactivity	Presentc	Presentc		Present		Absent
Continuity	Present	Present		Nearly continuous		Burst suppressedd

This is a proposed grading scale for cerebral dysfunction in children aged 2 months to 18 years that has not been validated in this age group. Adapted from The Yale Adult Background EEG Grading Scale [43]

EEG electroencephalogram, Hz Hertz, mo months, PDR posterior dominant rhythm, SIRPIDs stimulus-induced rhythmic, periodic, or ictal-appearing discharges, y years

^aThis categorization does not imply the EEG was performed to meet minimum technical requirements for assessment of electrocerebral inactivity when using EEG as an ancillary study for determination of death by neurologic criteria

^bFor EEGs that are not burst suppressed

^cEEGs that have limited duration may only demonstrate a single state or may not sufficiently assess reactivity

^dFor EEGs that are not attenuated or featureless