701 research outputs found
Understanding Childhood Neuroimmune Diseases of the Central Nervous System
Immune-mediated diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) in childhood are a heterogeneous group of rare conditions sharing the inflammatory involvement of the CNS. This review highlights the growing knowledge of childhood neuroimmune diseases that primarily affect the CNS, outlining the clinical and diagnostic features, the pathobiological mechanisms and genetics, current treatment options, and emerging challenges. The clinical spectrum of these conditions is increasingly expanded, and the underlying mechanisms of dysregulation of the immune system could vary widely. Cell-mediated and antibody-mediated disorders, infection-triggered and paraneoplastic conditions, and genetically defined mechanisms can occur in previously healthy children and can contribute to different stages of the disease. The careful evaluation of the clinical presentation and temporal course of symptoms, the specific neuroimaging and immunological findings, and the exclusion of alternative causes are mandatory in clinical practice for the syndromic diagnosis. A common feature of these conditions is that immunotherapeutic agents could modulate the clinical course and outcomes of the disease. Furthermore, specific symptomatic treatments and comprehensive multidisciplinary care are needed in the overall management. We focus on recent advances on immune-mediated demyelinating CNS disorders, autoimmune encephalitis, interferonopathies, and possible neuroimmune disorders as Rasmussen encephalitis. Better knowledge of these conditions could allow prompt diagnosis and targeted immunotherapy, to decrease morbidity and mortality as well as to improve clinical outcomes, reducing the burden of the disease due to possible long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae. Persisting controversies remain in the rigorous characterization of each specific clinical entity because of the relative rarity in children; moreover, in a large proportion of suspected neuroimmune diseases, the immune "signature" remains unidentified; treatment guidelines are mostly based on retrospective cohort studies and expert opinions; then advances in specific molecular therapies are required. In the future, a better characterization of specific immunological biomarkers may provide a useful understanding of the underlying pathobiological mechanisms of these conditions in order to individualize more tailored therapeutic options and paradigms. Multicenter collaborative research on homogeneous groups of patients who may undergo immunological studies and therapeutic trials could improve the characterization of the underlying mechanisms, the specific phenotypes, and tailored management
Gastaut type-idiopathic childhood occipital epilepsy and childhood absence epilepsy: a clinically significant association?
We report an unusual association between idiopathic occipital epilepsy and childhood absence epilepsy
in 2 pediatric patients. At first clinical and electroencephalographic evaluation, the patients presented
the peculiar signs of idiopathic occipital epilepsy Gastaut type: focal sensory visual seizures, migrainelike
symptoms (only in one patient) and unilateral spike–wave discharges over occipital regions. Both
children were treated with valproic acid and their seizures were rapidly controlled. After a seizure-free
period, the patients presented typical absence with ictal electroencephalographies showing 3 cycles/s
generalized and symmetrical spike–wave complexes. We discuss the possible association between these
two epileptic syndromes and its common pathophysiological mechanisms
Cognitive and linguistic abnormalities in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
Aim: To assess the cognitive function and language ability in children with benign
partial epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes.
Methods: Twenty-five patients with benign partial epilepsy with centrotemporal
spikes were included. They were divided into two subgroups. Group I: 10 patients with rolandic
focus who were not treated. Group II: 15 patients with rolandic focus receiving treatment.
A third Group of 12 healthy subjects have been studied. All children underwent
standardized neuropsychological testing: electroencephalogram recording, Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children-revised, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (PPVT-III) and Boston
Naming Test (BNT), both during active disease (T1) and 2 years after recovery from epilepsy
(T2).
Results: At T1 evaluation, no significant differences in group I and II patients about
general intelligence, when compared with controls, were found. Group I and II patients
were impaired with respect to controls in the receptive and expressive vocabulary evaluated
with PCVT-III and BNT, respectively. At T2 evaluation, group I and II patients showed a normalization
of the language abnormalities.
Conclusion: Deficits of speech-related abilities can be detected in children with this type of epilepsy:
these dysfunctions seem to be independent of the effects of antiepileptic treatment and are
reversible after remission of epilepsy
Valproic acid and phenobarbital blood levels during the first month of treatment with the ketogenic diet.
Objective – The aim of this study was to assess how the ketogenic diet
influences the blood levels of antiepileptic drugs in the first month of
treatment in a pediatric population with drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods
– The plasma concentrations of antiepileptic drugs were investigated in
an open study on 36 consecutive children and adolescents (20 males),
aged between 6 months and 16 years (mean age 4.7 years), who were
put on the ketogenic diet because of medically refractory epilepsy. The
plasma levels of antiepileptic drugs were determined 30 days and
immediately before the diet and on days 8, 15, 22 and 29 after the start
of the diet. The daily dose of each drug was not changed during the
first month of treatment, while the daily dose of benzodiazepines was
reduced by up to 30% if excessive sedation or drowsiness
occurred. Results – While plasma concentrations of phenobarbital did
not change in the first month on the ketogenic diet (mean increase of
2.3 mg ⁄ l 1.0), valproic acid showed a slight but not significant
decrease (mean decresase of 6.7 mg ⁄ l 3.2), 2 weeks after the start of
the diet. Conclusions – Adjustments in the daily dose of either drug
before the start of the diet do not however appear to be justified
Efficacy and safety of felbamate in children under 4 years of age: a retrospective chart review.
Background and purpose: To review our experience of the efficacy and tolerability of
felbamate in children younger than 4 years. Methods: We used a retrospective chart
review to identify 53 children with seizures who were younger than 4 years. Efficacy
was evaluated based on the occurrence of responsiveness, defined as seizure frequency
reduction of more than 50% for a minimum period of 4 months. Tolerability was
based on parent-reported side effects. Results: Twenty-two (41%) patients resulted to
be responders and 31 (59%) did not. By univariate analysis, those achieving seizure
remission were probably much older, to have a shorter history of epilepsy and a lower
frequency of seizures before felbamate therapy. The number of antiepileptic drugs
(AEDs) used before felbamate therapy was the only significant predictor of the
duration of response to felbamate, with a longer responsiveness to the drug seen in
those who were placed under fewer than three AEDs before felbamate compared with
those who had taken more than three (median, 16 months vs. 7 months; P < 0.0084).
Side effects occurred in 30% of the subjects, but these did not require discontinuation
of the drug. Discussion: Felbamate is an effective medication for a wide range of
epilepsy syndromes in children younger than 4 years. Although caution is necessary
when the drug is used in children, felbamate might represent a possible option for the
treatment of epilepsy in this age group.
Introduction
The incidence of epilepsy is high during the first year of
life and it declines steadily during childhood and
adolescence. Few of the new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)
are indicated officially for children younger than 4 years
[1–3]. None of them is approved for children younger
than 2 years [1,3,4]. There is a striking discrepancy
between the high incidence of epilepsy in infancy and
the relatively few approved AEDs available for this age
group [5].
Felbamate (2-phenyl-1,3-propanediol dicarbamate) is
a derivative of the anti-anxiety drug meprobamate,
exerting additional anticonvulsant and neuroprotective
properties [6–8]. The drug has been approved since 1993
for the treatment of several types of epilepsy. Experimental
studies suggested that felbamate might inhibit
voltage-dependen
Reply: “Comorbidity between epilepsy and headache/migraine: the other side of the same coin!”
Effects of the abrupt switch from solution tomodified-release granule formulation of valproate
Background - A new modified-release (MR) granule formulation of valproate (VPA) has been recently developed for the treatment of children with epilepsy. It consists of tasteless microspheres that can be sprinkled on soft foods and easily swallowed. There are no data on the effectiveness of this formulation in pediatric age. Aim of the study -To evaluate the effects of the abrupt switch from solution to VPA MR granules in children undergoing chronic treatment. Methods -We enrolled children receiving VPA solution as sole or adjunctive therapy and switched them to MR granules at identical dosages. VPA blood level, treatment efficacy (clinical and EEG data), tolerability (adverse reactions), palatability, ease of administration, and compliance were evaluated before switching (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1). Results -Out of 112 enrolled children, 108 (96.4%) completed the evaluation. We observed no significant differences between the patients at T0 and T1 in VPA blood levels, treatment efficacy, tolerability, and compliance. MR granules were judged more palatable (P < 0.05) and easier to administer (P < 0.05) than solution by children and parents. At 6-month follow-up, all patients continued to use MR granules. Conclusion -Modified-release granule formulation of VPA may be a reliable alternative to solution for its convenience of use
- …