Developmental medicine and child neurology
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Dysautonomia after brain injury is a diagnosis based on fever, tachypnea, hypertension, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and/or dystonia. It occurs in 8 to 33% of adults with brain injury and is associated with poor outcome. We hypothesized that children with brain injury with dysautonomia have worse outcomes and prolonged rehabilitation, and sought to determine the prevalence of dysautonomia in children and to characterize its clinical features. ⋯ Dysautonomia is common in children with brain injury and is associated with prolonged rehabilitation. Prospective study and standardized diagnostic approaches are needed to maximize outcomes.
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Apr 2012
Bilateral alterations in somatosensory cortical processing in hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
In individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), cerebral insults during early development may induce profound reorganization of the motor representation. This study determined the extent of alterations in cortical somatosensory functions in adolescents with hemiplegic CP with subcortical brain lesions. ⋯ In hemiplegic CP, modification of the somatosensory cortical network extends beyond what would be expected based on the unilateral symptoms and the anatomical lesion. Further understanding of the functional alterations in the sensorimotor networks may aid in developing more precisely designed rehabilitation strategies.
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Mar 2012
Safety and efficacy of flunarizine in childhood migraine: 11 years' experience, with emphasis on its effect in hemiplegic migraine.
The aim of this study was to report a single-centre experience of flunarizine in childhood migraine with focus on safety and efficacy. ⋯ In our cohort of children with migraine, flunarizine appears to be more effective in the hemiplegic migraine group. Adverse effects were seen in one-fifth of the individuals, leading to discontinuation in 18%.