Umbilical cord blood biomarkers of neurologic injury and the risk of cerebral palsy or infant death

To evaluate the association between cerebral palsy (CP) or infant death and putative cord blood biomarkers of neurologic injury, we performed a nested case-control secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized trial of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) versus placebo to prevent CP or death among offspring of women with anticipated delivery from 24 – 31 weeks' gestation. Cases were infants who died by 1 year (n=25) or developed CP (n=16), and were matched 1:2 to a control group (n=82) that survived without developing CP. Umbilical cord sera concentrations of S100B, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and the total soluble form of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) were measured by ELISA in duplicates. Maternal characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Cases were born at a lower gestational age (GA) and had lower birth weight compared with controls. There were no differences in concentrations of the three biomarkers and the composite outcome of CP or infant death. However, S100B was higher (median 847.3 vs. 495.7 pg/ml; p=0.03) in infants who had CP and total sRAGE was lower (median 1259.3 vs. 1813.1 pg/ml; p=0.02) in those who died compared with the control group. When corrected for delivery GA and treatment group, both differences lost statistical significance. In conclusion, cord blood S100B level may be associated with CP, but this association was not significant after controlling for GA and MgSO4 treatment

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Magnesium Sulfate for the Prevention of Cerebral Palsy

Research suggests that fetal exposure to magnesium sulfate before preterm birth might reduce the risk of cerebral palsy

Antenatal Magnesium and Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Infants

To evaluate the relationship of maternal antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) with neonatal cranial ultrasound abnormalities and cerebral palsy (CP)

Ethosuximide, valproic acid, and lamotrigine in childhood absence epilepsy: Initial monotherapy outcomes at 12 months

PURPOSE: Determine the optimal initial monotherapy for children with newly diagnosed childhood absence epilepsy based on 12 months of double blind therapy. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial compared the efficacy, tolerability and neuropsychological effects of ethosuximide, valproic acid and lamotrigine in children with newly diagnosed childhood absence epilepsy. Study medications were titrated to clinical response and subjects remained in the trial unless they reached a treatment failure criterion. Maximal target doses were ethosuximide 60 mg/kg/day or 2000 mg/day, valproic acid 60 mg/kg/day or 3000 mg/day and lamotrigine 12 mg/kg/day or 600 mg/day. Original primary outcome was at 16–20 weeks and included a video EEG assessment. For this report, the main effectiveness outcome was the freedom from failure rate 12 months after randomization and included a video EEG assessment; differential drug effects were determined by pairwise comparisons. The main cognitive outcome was the percentage of subjects experiencing attentional dysfunction at the Month 12 visit. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 453 children were enrolled and randomized; seven were deemed ineligible and 446 subjects comprised the overall efficacy cohort. There were no demographic differences between the three cohorts. By 12 months after starting therapy, only 37% of all enrolled subjects were free from treatment failure on their first medication. At the Month 12 visit, the freedom-from-failure rates for ethosuximide and valproic acid were similar (45% and 44%, respectively; odds ratio with valproic acid vs. ethosuximide, 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60 to 1.48; P = 0.82) and were higher than the rate for lamotrigine (21%; odds ratio with ethosuximide vs. lamotrigine, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.86 to 5.13; odds ratio with valproic acid vs. lamotrigine, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.74 to 4.83; P<0.001 for both comparisons). The frequency of treatment failures due to lack of seizure control (p < 0.001) and intolerable adverse events (p < 0.037) were significantly different among the treatment groups. Almost two thirds of the 125 subjects with treatment failure due to lack of seizure control were in the lamotrigine cohort. The largest subgroup (42%) of the 115 subjects discontinuing due to adverse events were in the valproic acid group. The previously reported higher rate of attentional dysfunction seen at 16–20 weeks in the valproic acid group compared with the ethosuximide or lamotrigine groups persisted at 12 months (p < 0.01). SIGNIFICANCE: As initial monotherapy, the superior effectiveness of ethosuximide and valproic acid compared to lamotrigine in controlling seizures without intolerable adverse events noted at 16–20 weeks persisted at 12 months. The valproic acid cohort experienced a higher rate of adverse events leading to drug discontinuation as well as significant negative effects on attentional measures that were not seen in the ethosuximide cohort. These 12 month outcome data coupled with the study’s prespecified decision making algorithm indicates that ethosuximide is the optimal initial empirical monotherapy for childhood absence epilepsy. This is the first randomized controlled trial meeting ILAE criteria for Class I evidence for childhood absence epilepsy (or for any type of generalized seizure in adults or children). (NCT00088452.

Pretreatment cognitive deficits and treatment effects on attention in childhood absence epilepsy

OBJECTIVE: To determine the neurocognitive deficits associated with newly diagnosed untreated childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), develop a model describing the factorial structure of items measuring academic achievement and 3 neuropsychological constructs, and determine short-term differential neuropsychological effects on attention among ethosuximide, valproic acid, and lamotrigine. METHODS: Subjects with newly diagnosed CAE entering a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial had neuropsychological testing including assessments of general intellectual functioning, attention, memory, executive function, and achievement. Attention was reassessed at the week 16–20 visit. RESULTS: At study entry, 36% of the cohort exhibited attention deficits despite otherwise intact neurocognitive functioning. Structural equation modeling of baseline neuropsychological data revealed a direct sequential effect among attention, memory, executive function, and academic achievement. At the week 16–20 visit, attention deficits persisted even if seizure freedom was attained. More subjects receiving valproic acid (49%) had attention deficits than subjects receiving ethosuximide (32%) or lamotrigine (24%) (p = 0.0006). Parental assessment did not reliably detect attention deficits before or after treatment (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Children with CAE have a high rate of pretreatment attentional deficits that persist despite seizure freedom. Rates are disproportionately higher for valproic acid treatment compared with ethosuximide or lamotrigine. Parents do not recognize these attentional deficits. These deficits present a threat to academic achievement. Vigilant cognitive and behavioral assessment of these children is warranted. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class I evidence that valproic acid is associated with more significant attentional dysfunction than ethosuximide or lamotrigine in children with newly diagnosed CAE

Headache and migraine in children with sickle cell disease are associated with lower hemoglobin and higher pain event rates but not silent cerebral infarction

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for headache and migraine in children with sickle cell disease and test the hypothesis that either or both are independently associated with silent cerebral infarcts.STUDY DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the health history, laboratory values, and brain magnetic resonance imaging findings of participants with sickle cell disease (hemoglobinSS or hemoglobinSβ°-thalassemia) with no history of overt stroke or seizures. Participants characterized headache severity and quality. Migraine was defined by International Headache Society criteria modified for increased sensitivity in children. Neuroradiology and neurology committees adjudicated the presence of silent cerebral infarction by review of magnetic resonance imaging and standardized examination by pediatric neurologists.RESULTS: The cohort included 872 children (51.1% males), ranging in age from 5 to 15 years (mean age, 9.1 years). Of these children, 317 (36.4%) reported recurrent headaches, and 132 (15.1%) reported migraines. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, both were associated with lower steady-state hemoglobin (P = .01 for headaches; P &lt; .01 for migraines) and higher pain rate (P &lt; .01 for headaches; P &lt; .01 for migraines), defined as the number of admissions requiring opioids in the previous 3 years. The presence of silent cerebral infarction was not associated with recurrent headaches or migraines. Only 1.9% (6 of 317) of children with recurrent headaches received medication for headache prophylaxis.CONCLUSION: Recurrent headaches and migraines are common and undertreated in children with sickle cell disease. Low hemoglobin levels and high pain rates are associated with recurrent headaches and migraines; whereas, silent cerebral infarction is not.</p