BackgroundNeonatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) stands as a primary cause of neonatal brain injury, mortality, and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment, imposing a considerable burden on public health systems worldwide. Despite advances in clinical practice, accurate early diagnosis and reliable severity stratification of HIE remain formidable challenges when relying solely on conventional neuroimaging modalities.Materials and methodsA cohort of 66 term neonates with clinically confi