Pediatric neurology
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Pediatric neurology · Oct 2014
Efficacy and tolerability of lacosamide as an adjunctive therapy in children with refractory partial epilepsy.
A unicentre, prospective study was performed to investigate the efficacy of lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in children with refractory partial epilepsy. ⋯ Lacosamide is an effective add-on antiepileptic drug for children with refractory partial epilepsy and is well tolerated.
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Pediatric neurology · Oct 2014
Specific headache factors predict sleep disturbances among youth with migraine.
There is a paucity of pediatric data addressing the complex relationship between primary headaches and sleep disturbances. Our study objective was to explore headache-related factors that predict sleep disturbance and to compare sleep complaints with other forms of headache-related disability among youth with migraines. ⋯ We conclude that specific headache factors predict sleep disturbances among youth with primary headaches.
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Pediatric neurology · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialEfficacy and safety of cinnarizine in the prophylaxis of migraine in children: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial.
In spite of the high occurrence of migraine headaches in school-age children, there are currently no approved and widely accepted pharmacologic agents for migraine prophylaxis in children. Our previous open-label study in children revealed the efficacy of cinnarizine, a calcium channel blocker, in migraine prophylaxis. A placebo-controlled trial was conducted to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of cinnarizine in the prophylaxis of migraine in children.
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Pediatric neurology · Oct 2014
Review Case ReportsThree phenotypes of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis in children: prevalence of symptoms and prognosis.
Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibody encephalitis is becoming an increasingly recognized cause of encephalopathy in individuals previously presumed to have viral encephalitis. Various manifestations of this disease include altered mental status, behavioral changes, seizures, and movement disorders. We have noted three distinct subtypes of this disease which appear to have differential responses to immunotherapies and differences in prognosis. ⋯ In our series, we discuss representative examples of these clinical subtypes and their associated outcomes, and we suggest that tracking these subtypes in future cases of anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis might lead to better understanding and better risk stratification with regard to immunotherapy decisions.
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Pediatric neurology · Sep 2014
Comparative Study Observational StudySurgery for intractable epilepsy due to unilateral brain disease: a retrospective study comparing hemispherectomy techniques.
Hemispherectomy is a surgical procedure used to treat medically intractable epilepsy in children with severe unilateral cortical disease secondary to acquired brain or congenital lesions. The major surgical approaches for hemispherectomy are anatomic hemispherectomy, traditional functional hemispherectomy, and peri-insular hemispherotomy. We describe the epilepsy outcome, including the need for reoperation, after hemispherectomy in patients with brain malformations or acquired brain lesions who underwent hemispherectomy for refractory epilepsy. ⋯ Seizure outcome after hemispherectomy is good in patients with acquired lesions and with developmental malformations. Although the seizure outcome was similar in the three procedures, the complication rate was higher with anatomic hemispherectomy than with the more recent functional hemispherectomy and peri-insular hemispherotomy. The group with cortical malformations generally had surgery at a younger age; two patients with malformations of cortical development who underwent functional hemispherectomy required second surgeries. The need for reoperation in these cases may reflect the anatomic complexity of developmental hemispheric malformations, which may lead to incomplete disconnection.