Mine Çalışkan

Clinical assessment, MRI, and EMG in congenital brachial plexus palsy.

Thirteen infants with congenital brachial plexus palsy (eight with upper, five with upper and lower) were monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (the first performed between 7 and 41 days of age and the second at 3 months of age), electromyography (the first performed between 27 and 50 days and the second at 3 months), and the muscle scoring system of the Hospital for Sick Children (at 3, 6, and 9 months of age). The findings were evaluated with respect to the clinical status of the patients at 12 months of age. Magnetic resonance imaging, which could be performed readily even in the neonatal period, revealed pseudomeningoceles in two of the five patients with a poor prognosis (in all planes even in the early days after birth) and in two of the eight patients with a good prognosis (more easily visible at 3 months of age). Electromyography implied root avulsion in three of five patients with a poor prognosis. Electromyography can be of great value for patients with a poor prognosis and root avulsion but may underestimate the severity. The muscle scoring system (Hospital for Sick Children) was determined to be the most predictive method for prognosis.

Muscle ultrasonography and electromyography correlation for evaluation of floppy infants

Floppiness in an infant may have a number of different etiologies from disorders of the brain to spinal cord lesions, neuropathies, neuromuscular junction disorders and myopathies. In this study we aimed to investigate the correlation of muscle ultrasonography (US) and electromyography (EMG) in the diagnosis of floppy infants. The study encompassed 41 floppy infants aged 2-24 months. The muscle US and EMG examinations were performed without awareness of the clinical diagnosis. The final diagnosis was established by molecular genetic tests or muscle/nerve biopsy. The neurogenic group consisted of 16 infants according to their US and EMG findings. Fifteen of them had spinal muscular atrophy proven by genetic analysis and one had polyneuropathy diagnosed by nerve biopsy. Six infants were in the myopathic group according to their muscle US and EMG results. All of them underwent muscle biopsy and microscopic examination revealed five congenital muscular dystrophy and one glycogen storage disease. In two infants the US and EMG data conflicted. Their biopsies were also insufficient for the diagnosis. Seventeen infants had normal US and EMG findings but pathologic cranial magnetic resonance imaging or metabolic/genetic tests. They were considered in the group of central hypotonia. Our results suggest a high concordance of US and EMG findings in the diagnostic work-up of neurogenic and myopathic disorders.

Quantification of neurometabolites in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis by 1H-MRS

The authors studied 20 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) to investigate the correlations between MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and clinical status. MRI findings did not correlate with clinical status. By contrast, all patients had reductions in N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and increase in myoinositol (mI) (p < 0.01), and NAA and mI concentrations correlated with clinical severity (p < 0.05). During follow-up, NAA continued to decline. 1H-MRS may be a useful measure of disease severity and progression in SSPE.

Evaluation of etiologic and prognostic factors in neonatal convulsions.

This study evaluated etiologic and risk factors affecting long-term prognoses of neurologic outcomes in newborns with neonatal seizures. We enrolled patients at chronologic ages of 23-44 months, referred to the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, from January 1, 2007-December 31, 2009, after manifesting seizures in their first postnatal 28 days. Of 112 newborns, 41 were female, 71 were male, 33 were preterm, and 79 were full-term. Perinatal asphyxia (28.6%) and intracranial hemorrhage (17%) were the most common causes of neonatal seizures. Cerebral palsy developed in 27.6% of patients during follow-up. The incidence of epilepsy was 35.7%. Almost 50% of patients manifested developmental delay in one or more areas. Global developmental delay was the most common (50.8%) neurologic disorder. The correlation between gestational age or birth weight and adverse outcomes was nonsignificant. Etiology, Apgar score, need for resuscitation at birth, background electroencephalogram, neonatal status epilepticus, cranial imaging findings, type/duration of antiepileptic treatment, and response to acute treatment were all strong prognostic factors in neurologic outcomes. Neonatal seizures pose a threat of neurologic sequelae for preterm and full-term infants. Although the number of recognized etiologic factors in neonatal seizures has increased because of improvements in neonatology and diagnostic methods, perinatal asphyxia remains the most common factor.

Reversible EEG changes during rotavirus gastroenteritis

Rotavirus can cause seizures and encephalopathy in infants and young children. We report reversible EEG abnormalities in a 2 year and 7 month old boy who had a single seizure during rotavirus gastroenteritis. His EEG showed bilateral independent temporoparietal sharp waves. The EEG was normal 10 days after the first EEG and the patient has been followed with no neurological sequelae. The EEG literature in children developing seizures secondary to rotavirus infection including ours suggest the involvement of mostly posterior cerebral areas. The localization and reversibility of the process can enlighten the pathophysiology underlying this disorder.

Neuroradiologic aspects of West syndrome

Cranial computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or both, of 143 patients with West syndrome were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-four children had normal CT scans. The most striking findings on pathologic scans were cerebral atrophy, ventricular enlargement, and encephalomalacia. Of 78 children who underwent MRI, 14 had normal scans. Cerebral malformations, cerebral atrophy, and delayed myelination were the most common pathologic findings and were observed in 25, 20, and 16 of the cases, respectively. MRI was found to be more informative in 21 of the 27 patients who underwent both neuroimaging methods. In fact, in two patients with normal CT scans, MRI revealed delayed myelination and hyperintensity of the hippocampal area on T2-weighted images in one and increased intensity of basal ganglia on T1-weighted images in the other. On the basis of all data, four patients were classified as cryptogenic and 126 as symptomatic. The most frequent etiologic factors were perinatal asphyxia, cerebral malformations, and infections, encountered in 34, 25, and 24 of the children, respectively. Twenty-one cases could be classified solely on the basis of the data obtained with neuroimaging modalities. The data confirm and provide additional details of the ways in which neuroimaging, especially MRI, is useful in distinguishing between cryptogenic and symptomatic cases of West syndrome.

8-Year Clinical Experience in Cerebral Palsy

The changes in frequency and distribution of the clinical types of cerebral palsy (CP) were evaluated in 1873 CP cases admitted to the Department of Pediatric Neurology between 1982 and 1989. The observed panorama of CP was unlike the situation in developed countries. The majority of the cases were term-born and perinatal risk factors were noted to play the predominant role in the etiology of these cases. On the other hand, the most common type of CP was spastic quadriplegia where as spastic diplegia cases were less commonly encountered. These differences led us to conclude that the clinical panorama of CP might be an indicator of socio-economic development.

Positron emission tomography findings in children with infantile spasms and autism

The purpose of this study was to evaluate positron emission tomography (PET) findings in patients diagnosed with infantile spasms and autism. This study includes 90 patients who were diagnosed with infantile spasms at the Department of Pediatric Neurology in the Istanbul University Medical Faculty between 1995 and 2007. Of the 90 patients, 15 patients who were diagnosed with autism using the Autism Behaviour Checklist and Childhood Autism Rating Scale and a control group of nine patients without autism but with infantile spasms underwent PET examination. Mean patient age (± standard error, SE) varied between 3 years and 16 years (7.8 ± 4 years), while the mean follow-up time (±SE) varied between 2 years and 16 years (average: 7.1 ± 4 years). Autism was present in 11 patients with symptomatic spasms and in four patients with cryptogenic spasms (p=0.009). On the PET scans of the 15 patients with autism, 13 (86.7%) had significantly decreased metabolic activity in the temporal lobe (p<0.001), nine (60%) had significantly decreased activity in the frontal lobe (p=0.004), and seven (46.7%) had significantly decreased activity in the parietal lobe (p=0.022). In our opinion, hypometabolism in the frontal and parietal lobes, in addition to that previously reported in the temporal lobe, plays a role in the development of autism in patients with infantile spasms.

Multiple pineal cysts associated with an ependymal cyst presenting with infantile spasm

We present a unique case of infantile spasm in a patient with multiple pineal cysts associated with an ependymal cyst. Such a morphological etiology, to our knowledge, has not been described for patients with infantile spasm. Although postoperative neuroradiological studies demonstrated satisfactory surgical results, the patient continued to have seizures.

Effects of oral motor therapy in children with cerebral palsy

Aim: Oral motor dysfunction is a common issue in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Drooling, difficulties with sucking, swallowing, and chewing are some of the problems often seen. In this study, we aimed to research the effect of oral motor therapy on pediatric CP patients with feeding problems. Materials and Methods: Included in this single centered, randomized, prospective study were 81 children aged 12-42 months who had been diagnosed with CP, had oral motor dysfunction and were observed at the Pediatric Neurology outpatient clinic of the Childrens Health and Diseases Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University. Patients were randomized into two groups: The training group and the control group. One patient from the training group dropped out of the study because of not participating regularly. Following initial evaluation of all patients by a blinded physiotherapist and pedagogue, patients in the training group participated in 1 h oral motor training sessions with a different physiotherapist once a week for 6 months. All patients kept on routine physiotherapy by their own physiotherapists. Oral motor assessment form, functional feeding assessment (FFA) subscale of the multidisciplinary feeding profile (MFP) and the Bayley scales of infant development (BSID-II) were used to evaluate oral motor function, swallowing, chewing, the gag reflex, the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex, tongue, jaw, and mouth function, severity of drooling, aspiration, choking, independent feeding and tolerated food texture during the initial examination and 6 months later. Results: When the initial and post-therapy FFA and BSID-II scores received by patients in the training and the study group were compared, the training group showed a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Oral motor therapy has a beneficial effect on feeding problems in children with CP.