Pediatric neurology
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Pediatric neurology · Jul 2015
Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale: A Sensitive Tool to Evaluate Movement Disorders.
The Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale represents a new tool for assessment of movement disorders during developmental age. In this study, we evaluated a cohort of 68 patients affected by various types of movement disorders and treated with specific drugs over one year to verify the usefulness of the Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale. ⋯ Our results suggest that Movement Disorder-Childhood Rating Scale is a suitable tool to detect changes independently from age and could be used as outcome measure for clinical trials.
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Pediatric neurology · Jun 2015
Correlation between efficacy of levetiracetam and serum levels among children with refractory epilepsy.
Levetiracetam is used as adjunctive therapy in various types of seizures. Studies evaluating the effect of levetiracetam on children with refractory epilepsy are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between serum concentration of levetiracetam and either efficacy or tolerability in children with refractory epilepsy, and to determine the value of levetiracetam blood level monitoring. ⋯ Determination of serum concentration is not needed in all children treated with levetiracetam. Serum concentrations may be valuable either in patients with refractory epilepsy for compliance evaluation or in patients with satisfactory control of seizures for determination of their therapeutic baseline.
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Pediatric neurology · May 2015
Demographics and outcomes of patients with pediatric febrile convulsive status epilepticus.
Convulsive status epilepticus with fever is common and may be related to neurological sequela in children. However, there are limited data on the demographics and risk factors of this phenomenon. Thus, we aimed to describe the demographics and risk factors of neurological sequela among children with convulsive status epilepticus with fever. ⋯ Our study indicated that absence of epilepsy history, high temperature, and/or prolonged impaired consciousness were associated with brain injury.
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Pediatric neurology · May 2015
Case ReportsRapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) syndrome may have a hypothalamus-periaqueductal gray localization.
Anatomical localization of the rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) syndrome has proved elusive. Most patients had neuroimaging after cardiorespiratory collapse, revealing a range of ischemic lesions. ⋯ Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain early in his illness showed focal inflammation in the periaqueductal gray matter and hypothalamus. This unique localization explains almost all symptoms of this rare autoimmune encephalitis.
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Advances in technology have facilitated the development of minimally invasive neurosurgical options for the treatment of pediatric neurological disease. This review seeks to familiarize pediatric neurologists with some of the techniques of minimally invasive pediatric neurosurgery, focusing on treatments for hydrocephalus, arachnoid cysts, intracranial mass lesions, and craniosynostosis.