Seminars in pediatric neurology
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Semin Pediatr Neurol · Mar 1998
ReviewBenefits of early intervention for children with developmental disabilities.
Early intervention programs are designed to enhance the developmental competence of participants and to prevent or minimize developmental delays. Children targeted for early intervention may either include environmentally or biologically vulnerable children, or those with established developmental deficits. ⋯ However, this literature is limited by substantial methodological weaknesses in most studies. Therefore further randomized clinical trials are needed to ascertain which programs best meet the needs of children with or at risk for developmental disability.
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Pediatric central nervous system neoplasms include a spectrum of both glial and nonglial tumors that differ significantly in location and biological behavior from those of adults. Brain tumors in infants and children most often arise from central neuroepithelial tissue, whereas a significant number of adult tumors arise from central nervous system coverings (e.g., meningioma), adjacent tissue (e.g., pituitary adenoma), or metastases. ⋯ Entities, such as the brainstem glioma, and less common neoplasms like the desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma and the central nervous system atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor are reviewed because they occur almost exclusively in children. Known cytogenetic and molecular characteristics of childhood brain tumors are also reviewed.
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Semin Pediatr Neurol · Sep 1997
ReviewIntracranial pressure: current status in monitoring and management.
One of the most frequently occurring questions in the neurological critical care of children involves the indications for measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP) and the appropriate therapies for abnormally elevated ICP. Advances in monitoring technology have improved the safety and accuracy of ICP measurement. ⋯ For several diseases, the ability to measure and manage ICP has resulted in marked improvements in outcomes. This article reviews the indications for, and recommended methods of, measuring ICP in children and discusses the status of therapies commonly used to control elevated ICP.
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The clinicopathologic profiles of the major leukodystrophies (adreno-leukodystrophy, metachromatic leukodystrophy, globoid cell leukodystrophy or Krabbe's disease, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, and spongy degeneration of infancy or Canavan's disease) are reviewed. Particular attention is paid to distinctive imaging characteristics, molecular advances, pathogeneses, and potential therapies.
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Migraine is a commonly occurring headache syndrome in children and adolescents. Half of all individuals destined to have migraine begin their attacks before age 20 years. ⋯ On occasion, dramatic neurological symptoms and signs accompany the headache. The epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical characteristics, evaluations, and management of migraine are reviewed.