Increased focal interictal discharges during specific cognitive tasks

We present a patient with pharmacoresistant right temporal lobe epilepsy who showed a significant increase in focal interictal spikes in response to specific visuospatial tasks, Temporal spiking was particularly increased during immediate recall of visuospatial material, but not during verbal memory tasks. This reflexive phenomenon, situated in between cognitive alterations as seen in most patients with epilepsy and frank seizures elicited by higher cerebral function as in reflex epilepsy, is discussed in relation to cognition and underlying neural substrates

Phenotype oculaire chez un enfant atteint d'une chondrodysplasia punctata, forme rhizomelique. [Ocular phenotype in a child with chondrodysplasia punctata, rhizomelic form]

Chondrodysplasia calcificans punctata (CDP) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by calcific stippling of the hyaline cartilage. CDP is classified into 4 types: the autosomal dominant Conradi-Hunermann type, the autosomal recessive rhizomelic type, the X-linked dominant form and the X-linked recessive form. We present a child affected with a rhizomelic CDP born from consanguinous parents. The ocular phenotype consisted of microphakia associated with a progressive bilateral "cataracta cortico-zonularis suturata". At 11 years of age, a phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation was performed in the left eye

When should clinicians search for GLUT1 deficiency syndrome in childhood generalized epilepsies?

UNLABELLED: GLUT1 deficiency (GLUT1D) has recently been identified as an important cause of generalized epilepsies in childhood. As it is a treatable condition, it is crucial to determine which patients should be investigated. METHODS: We analyzed SLC2A1 for mutations in a group of 93 unrelated children with generalized epilepsies. Fasting lumbar puncture was performed following the identification of a mutation. We compared our results with a systematic review of 7 publications of series of patients with generalized epilepsies screened for SLC2A1 mutations. RESULTS: We found 2/93 (2.1%) patients with a SLC2A1 mutation. One, carrying a novel de novo deletion had epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizures (MAE), mild slowing of head growth, choreiform movements and developmental delay. The other, with a paternally inherited missense mutation, had childhood absence epilepsy with atypical EEG features and paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia (PED) initially misdiagnosed as myoclonic seizures. Out of a total of 1110 screened patients with generalized epilepsies from 7 studies, 2.4% (29/1110) had GLUT1D. This rate was higher (5.6%) among 303 patients with early onset absence epilepsy (EOAE) from 4 studies. About 50% of GLUT1D patients had abnormal movements and 41% a family history of seizures, abnormal movements or both. CONCLUSION: GLUT1D is most likely to be found in MAE and in EOAE. The probability of finding GLUT1D in the classical idiopathic generalized epilepsies is very low. Pointers to GLUT1D include an increase in seizures before meals, cognitive impairment, or PED which can easily be overlooked

Neuropsychological problems after paediatric stroke: two year follow-up of Swiss children

AIM: The aim of this study was to obtain information about neurological and cognitive outcome for a population-based group of children after paediatric ischaemic stroke. METHODS: Data from the Swiss neuropaediatric stroke registry (SNPSR), from 1.1.2000 to 1.7.2002, including children (AIS 1) and neonates (AIS 2). At 18-24 months after a stroke, a follow-up examination was performed including a history, neurological and neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: 33/48 children (22 AIS 1, 11 AIS 2) participated in the study. Neurological outcome was good in 16/33. After childhood stroke mean IQ levels were normal (94), but 6 children had IQ < 85 (50-82) and neuropsychological problems were present in 75%. Performance IQ (93) was reduced compared to verbal IQ (101, p = 0.121) due to problems in the domain of processing speed (89.5); auditory short-term memory was especially affected. Effects on school career were common. Outcome was worse in children after right-sided infarction. Children suffering from stroke in mid-childhood had the best prognosis. There was no clear relationship between outcome and localisation of the lesion. After neonatal stroke 7/11 children showed normal development and epilepsy indicated a worse prognosis in the remaining 4. CONCLUSION: After paediatric stroke neuropsychological problems are present in about 75% of children. Younger age at stroke as well as an emergence of epilepsy were predictors for worse prognosis

The first three years of the Swiss Neuropaediatric Stroke Registry (SNPSR): a population-based study of incidence, symptoms and risk factors

We report the results of three years of the population-based, prospective Swiss NeuroPaediatric Stroke Registry (SNPSR) of children (up to 16 years) with childhood arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS1), neonatal stroke (AIS2), or symptomatic sinus venous thrombosis (SVT). Data on risk factors (RF), presentation, diagnostic work-up, localisation, and short-term neurological outcome were collected. 80 children (54 males) have been included, 40 AIS1, 23 AIS2, and 17 SVT. The data presented will be concentrated on AIS. The presentation for AIS1 was hemiparesis in 77% and cerebellar symptoms and seizures in 20%, respectively. AIS2 presented in 83% with seizures and in 38% with abnormality of muscle tone. Two or more RF were detected in 54%, one RF in 35%. The most prominent RF for AIS1 were infections (40%), followed by cardiopathies and coagulopathies (25% each). AIS2 were frequently related to birth problems. Neurological outcomes in AIS1 and AIS2 were moderate/severe in 45 % and 32 %, respectively. The outcome correlated significantly with the size of infarction (p = 0.013) and age at stroke (p = 0.027). The overall mortality was 6%. Paediatric stroke is a multiple risk problem, which leads to important long-term sequelae

Identification and quantification of phosphodiesterase 4 subtypes in CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes from healthy and asthmatic subjects

1. In the present study, for the first time, PDE4 subtypes were identified and semi-quantified in both CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes from healthy and asthmatic individuals. 2. CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes from healthy and mild asymptomatic asthmatic subjects (receiving β-agonist therapy only) were isolated from peripheral venous blood using appropriate antibody coated paramagnetic beads. PDE4 subtypes and β-actin were identified by digoxigenin (DIG)-labelling reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and semi-quantified by DIG-detection enzyme-linked immunosorbance assay. 3. In CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes PDE4A, PDE4B and PDE4D were detected, with no significant differences observed between healthy and asthmatic groups. In CD8 lymphocytes, enzyme subtype expression was lower and showed more intersubject variability. 4. In functional studies investigating the effects of various PDE inhibitors on PHA-induced proliferation of mononuclear cells from healthy and asthmatic subjects, CDP840 (0.03–10 μM), rolipram (0.1–10 μM) and theophylline (10 μM–1 mM) inhibited PHA-induced proliferation of mononuclear cells from healthy and asthmatic subjects in a concentration-dependent manner, although no significant difference was observed between the groups investigated. 5. In additional studies, total monocyte cyclic AMP PDE activity was investigated in cells isolated from asthmatic subjects both prior to and 24 h after allergen challenge. Total monocyte cyclic AMP PDE activity remained unaffected following challenge of asthmatic subjects with either house dust mite or cat dander and was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by rolipram (0.01–100 μM) both before and after allergen challenge