Brain & development
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Brain & development · Sep 2009
Vascular endothelial growth factor in neonates with perinatal asphyxia.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a polypeptide growth factor that is activated by tissue hypoxia. The role of VEGF in perinatal asphyxia in human neonates is yet to be clarified. In infants who develop moderate to severe acute hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) it is crucial to clearly understand physiologic and biochemical changes that accompany HIE before a novel treatment can be developed. ⋯ This study indicates that VEGF is increased in cord blood of neonates following birth asphyxia, and that VEGF is specifically most increased in infants who later developed encephalopathy. Further studies are required to determine the role of VEGF in brain insult. Such studies will help determine whether a therapeutic role for VEGF or VEGF inhibitors can exist for HIE infants.
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Brain & development · Sep 2009
Changing ictal-onset EEG patterns in children with cortical dysplasia.
Cortical dysplasia (CD) is intrinsically epileptogenic. We hypothesize that CDs clinically emerging in the early developing brain tend to extend into multifocal or larger epileptic networks to pronounce intractability in contrast to CDs which clinically emerge at a later age. ⋯ Ictal-onset EEG patterns change over time in children with early seizure onset and intractable epilepsy caused by CD. Younger epileptic children with CD more frequently have multifocal epileptogenic foci or larger epileptogenic foci. Early resection of CD, guided by MRI, MEG, and intracranial video EEG, resulted in seizure freedom despite changes in ictal-onset EEG patterns.