Means and standard errors for task performance for preterm children with birth weight ≤ 1500 g and > 1500 g, and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.

<p>Measures were number of named animals (animals), recalled digits (digits), and how many times a button could be unfastened and fastened (button). Performance in the tray concurrent task was excluded from the figure as both groups showed no variance in this task. <i>P</i> values are presented for significant main effects of walking conditions (comparing single task vs. dual- and triple tasks) and for linear trends showing increasing gait performance from preterm children with birth weight ≤ 1500 g to preterm children with birth weight > 1500 g to full-term children. For statistical analyses log-transformed parameters of task performance were used.</p

Demographic characteristics of preterm and full-term children.

<p>Demographic characteristics of preterm and full-term children.</p

Means (and standard deviations) of normalized gait parameters for preterm and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.

<p>Means (and standard deviations) of normalized gait parameters for preterm and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.</p

Means (and standard deviations) of gait variability parameters for preterm and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.

<p>Means (and standard deviations) of gait variability parameters for preterm and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.</p

Means (and standard deviations) of spatio-temporal gait parameters for preterm and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.

<p>Means (and standard deviations) of spatio-temporal gait parameters for preterm and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.</p

Copeptin as a Serum Biomarker of Febrile Seizures

<div><p>Background and Objectives</p><p>Accurate diagnosis of febrile seizures in children presenting after paroxysmal episodes associated with fever, is hampered by the lack of objective postictal biomarkers. The aim of our study was to investigate whether FS are associated with increased levels of serum copeptin, a robust marker of arginine vasopressin secretion.</p><p>Methods</p><p>This was a prospective emergency-setting cross-sectional study of 161 children between six months and five years of age. Of these, 83 were diagnosed with febrile seizures, 69 had a febrile infection without seizures and nine had epileptic seizures not triggered by infection. Serum copeptin and prolactin levels were measured in addition to standard clinical, neurophysiological, and laboratory assessment. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT01884766.</p><p>Results</p><p>Circulating copeptin was significantly higher in children with febrile seizures (median [interquartile range] 18.9 pmol/L [8.5-36.6]) compared to febrile controls (5.6 pmol/L [4.1-9.4]; <i>p</i> <0.001), with no differences between febrile and epileptic seizures (21.4 pmol/L [16.1-46.6]; p = 0.728). In a multivariable regression model, seizures were the major determinant of serum copeptin (<i>beta</i> 0.509; <i>p</i> <0.001), independently of clinical and baseline laboratory indices. The area under the receiver operating curve for copeptin was 0.824 (95% CI 0.753-0.881), significantly higher compared to prolactin (0.667 [0.585-0.742]; <i>p</i> <0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of copeptin increased with decreasing time elapsed since the convulsive event (at 120 min: 0.879 [0.806-0.932] and at <60 min: 0.975 [0.913-0.997]).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Circulating copeptin has high diagnostic accuracy in febrile seizures and may be a useful adjunct for accurately diagnosing postictal states in the emergency setting.</p></div

Correlations between gait parameters in single-task walking (<i>N</i> = 88).

<p>Correlations between gait parameters in single-task walking (<i>N</i> = 88).</p

Means and standard errors for gait variability including stride velocity variability (A) and stride length variability (B) for preterm children with birth weight ≤ 1500 g and > 1500 g, and full-term children in single-, dual-, and triple-task conditions.

<p>Concurrent tasks were naming animals (animals), listening to and memorizing digits (digits), carrying a tray with table tennis balls (tray), and unfastening and fastening a button (button). <i>P</i> values are presented for significant main effects of walking conditions (comparing single task vs. dual and triple tasks) and for linear trends showing increasing gait performance from preterm children with birth weight ≤ 1500 g to preterm children with birth weight > 1500 g to full-term children. For statistical analyses log-transformed parameters of gait variability were used.</p

Statistical results from the repeated-measures MANOVAs comparing the single- to the dual- and triple-task conditions for each gait parameter.

<p>Statistical results from the repeated-measures MANOVAs comparing the single- to the dual- and triple-task conditions for each gait parameter.</p

Scatter dot plots of serum copeptin and prolactin values in the three study groups.

<p>Medians and interquartile ranges are also presented. Between-group comparisons were performed with Mann-Whitney U test. * Serum copeptin values in 4 cases (range 208–306 pmol/L) are outside the copeptin-axis limits of the graph. FS: febrile seizures; ES: epileptic seizures</p