Challenges in the Clinical Recognition of Acute Flaccid Myelitis and its Implications.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the challenges in diagnosing acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) and evaluate clinical features and treatment paradigms associated with under recognition. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective multicenter study of pediatric patients (≤18 years) who were diagnosed with AFM from 2014 to 2018 using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's case definition. RESULTS: In 72% of the cases (126 of 175), AFM was not considered in the initial differential diagnosis (n = 108; 61.7%) and/or the patient was not referred for acute care (n = 90; 51.4%) at the initial clinical encounter, and this did not improve over time. Although many features of the presentation were similar in those initially diagnosed with AFM and those who were not; preceding illness, constipation, and reflexes differed significantly between the 2 groups. Patients with a non-AFM initial diagnosis more often required ventilatory support (26.2% vs 12.2%; OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-1.0; P = .05). These patients received immunomodulatory treatment later (3 days vs 2 days after neurologic symptom onset; 95% CI, -2 to 0; P = .05), particularly intravenous immunoglobulin (5 days vs 2 days; 95% CI, -4 to -2; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Delayed recognition of AFM is concerning because of the risk for respiratory decompensation and need for intensive care monitoring. A non-AFM initial diagnosis was associated with delayed treatment that could have a clinical impact, particularly as new treatment options emerge.

The State of Inpatient Child Neurology: A Survey of North American Academic Programs.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inpatient child neurology programs provide essential services for children. We sought to understand the current structure and challenges of inpatient pediatric neurologic care delivery in academic programs in North America. METHODS: We identified a single child neurologist from 39 of the first 40 programs on the 2019-2020 US News and World Report ranking and 3 large Canadian programs to be invited to participate in an inpatient focused survey. In October 2020, these 42 child neurologists were invited to complete an anonymous on-line survey including 37 questions about the structure, workload, and challenges of their inpatient program. Data was analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: We received responses from 30/42 (71%) invited child neurologists from unique programs. The majority (25/30, 83%) were Child Neurology Program Directors, Inpatient Directors, and/or Division Chiefs. Two-thirds (20/30, 67%) reported a total of 2-4 inpatient services. Two-thirds (20/30, 67%) reported a primary neurology admitting service. Nearly two-thirds (19/30, 63%) reported a separate ICU service, and about one-third (11/30, 37%) reported a separate stroke/vascular service. Half of respondents (15/30, 50%) reported some attendings whose primary clinical effort is in the inpatient setting. Over half (17/30, 57%) reported having trainees interested in inpatient-focused careers. About half (16/30, 53%) reported a full-time equivalent metric for inpatient time, and under half (13/30, 43%) reported use of critical-care billing. Most respondents (26/30, 87%) endorsed that inpatient attendings frequently complete documentation/sign notes outside of normal daytime hours. During night call, attendings commonly spend 30 minutes-2 hours on patient care-related phone calls between 5pm-10pm (24/30, 80%) and receive 1-3 patient care-related phone calls after 10pm (21/30, 70%). Faculty burnout was the biggest inpatient-specific challenge before the COVID-19 pandemic (25/30, 83%), and concern about faculty well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic was reported in nearly all respondents (28/30, 93%). DISCUSSION: Academic child neurology programs in North America implement varied models for inpatient care delivery and face common challenges. The information presented in this study serves to stimulate discussion, help optimize operations, and encourage novel approaches to accomplish work and advance careers in academic inpatient child neurology.

Multicenter Study of the Impact of COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place on Tertiary Hospital-based Care for Pediatric Neurologic Disease.

Objective: To describe changes in hospital-based care for children with neurologic diagnoses during the initial 6 weeks following regional Coronavirus 2019 Shelter-in-Place orders. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study of 7 US and Canadian pediatric tertiary care institutions included emergency and inpatient encounters with a neurologic primary discharge diagnosis code in the initial 6 weeks of Shelter-in-Place (COVID-SiP), compared to the same period during the prior 3 years (Pre-COVID). Patient demographics, encounter length, and neuroimaging and electroencephalography use were extracted from the medical record. Results: 27,900 encounters over 4 years were included. Compared to Pre-COVID, there was a 54% reduction in encounters during Shelter-in-Place. COVID-SiP patients were younger (median 5 years vs 7 years). The incidence of encounters for migraine fell by 72%, and encounters for acute diagnoses of status epilepticus, infantile spasms, and traumatic brain injury dropped by 53%, 55%, and 56%, respectively. There was an increase in hospital length of stay, relative utilization of intensive care, and diagnostic testing (long-term electroencephalography, brain MRI, and head CT (all P<.01)). Conclusion: During the initial 6 weeks of SiP, there was a significant decrease in neurologic hospital-based encounters. Those admitted required a high level of care. Hospital-based neurologic services are needed to care for acutely ill patients. Precise factors causing these shifts are unknown and raise concern for changes in care seeking of patients with serious neurologic conditions. Impacts of potentially delayed diagnosis or treatment require further investigation.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 and Autoantibody Profiles in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of 3 Teenaged Patients With COVID-19 and Subacute Neuropsychiatric Symptoms.

Importance: Neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 have been reported in the pediatric population. Objective: To determine whether anti-SARS-CoV-2 and autoreactive antibodies are present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of pediatric patients with COVID-19 and subacute neuropsychiatric dysfunction. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case series includes 3 patients with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection as confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction or IgG serology with recent exposure history who were hospitalized at the University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital and for whom a neurology consultation was requested over a 5-month period in 2020. During this period, 18 total children were hospitalized and tested positive for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction or rapid antigen test. Main Outcomes and Measures: Detection and characterization of CSF anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and antineural antibodies. Results: Of 3 included teenaged patients, 2 patients had intrathecal anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. CSF IgG from these 2 patients also indicated antineural autoantibodies on anatomic immunostaining. Autoantibodies targeting transcription factor 4 (TCF4) in 1 patient who appeared to have a robust response to immunotherapy were also validated. Conclusions and Relevance: Pediatric patients with COVID-19 and prominent subacute neuropsychiatric symptoms, ranging from severe anxiety to delusional psychosis, may have anti-SARS-CoV-2 and antineural antibodies in their CSF and may respond to immunotherapy.

Expediting Treatment of Seizures in the Intensive Care Nursery.

OBJECTIVES: Prolonged neonatal seizures are associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. The aim of this quality improvement project was to decrease the time to medical treatment of seizures by 45% within 15 months for neonates admitted to the intensive care nursery (ICN) in an academic children's hospital. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team developed key drivers for timely treatment of seizures. Targeted interventions included optimizing a seizure rescue process with a mechanism that brings a pharmacist to the bedside for expedited medication delivery, in addition to interactive educational sessions. The outcome measure was time from the decision to treat seizures to medication administration. The process measure was use of the seizure rescue process with a balancing measure of unnecessary activations of this process. Data were collected from monthly chart review and displayed on statistical process control charts for analysis. The intervention period was from January 2019 to March 2020. RESULTS: Between January 2016 and March 2020, there were 203 seizure treatment events (160 preintervention and 43 postintervention) in the ICN. Time to treatment of neonatal seizures decreased by 48%, from a baseline of 27 minutes (January 2016 to December 2018) to 14 minutes by March 2020, which reflected significant and sustained improvement. This was associated with improvement in the process metric during the same time periods. Unnecessary seizure rescue process activations were stable postintervention. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an innovative seizure rescue process, in conjunction with staff and provider education, expedited antiseizure therapy in the ICN without requiring code resources.

Alterations in coordinated EEG activity precede the development of seizures in comatose children.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to test the hypothesis that computational features of the first several minutes of EEG recording can be used to estimate the risk for development of acute seizures in comatose critically-ill children. METHODS: In a prospective cohort of 118 comatose children, we computed features of the first five minutes of artifact-free EEG recording (spectral power, inter-regional synchronization and cross-frequency coupling) and tested if these features could help identify the 25 children who went on to develop acute symptomatic seizures during the subsequent 48 hours of cEEG monitoring. RESULTS: Children who developed acute seizures demonstrated higher average spectral power, particularly in the theta frequency range, and distinct patterns of inter-regional connectivity, characterized by greater connectivity at delta and theta frequencies, but weaker connectivity at beta and low gamma frequencies. Subgroup analyses among the 97 children with the same baseline EEG background pattern (generalized slowing) yielded qualitatively and quantitatively similar results. CONCLUSIONS: These computational features could be applied to baseline EEG recordings to identify critically-ill children at high risk for acute symptomatic seizures. SIGNIFICANCE: If confirmed in independent prospective cohorts, these features would merit incorporation into a decision support system in order to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic management of seizures among comatose children.

Seizure and Interictal Electroencephalographic (EEG) Changes with Cannabinoid Concentrate Use.

BACKGROUND The electroencephalographic (EEG) findings associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use, particularly in concentrated form, are not well-described, despite the current widespread availability of these products. There is a lack of prior research describing the EEG findings in adolescent cannabis users, and the effects of THC on the seizure threshold have been variably reported. CASE REPORT A 17-year-old girl with no prior history of seizures or known seizure risk factors presented to an Emergency Department with acutely abnormal behavior in the setting of daily vaping of highly concentrated THC marijuana ("wax"). On admission, she had a witnessed generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Urine toxicology was positive for THC, and an extensive evaluation for other etiologies of her encephalopathy was unrevealing. Extended EEG on admission showed mild diffuse background slowing with occasional bifronto-centrally predominant sharp and spike wave discharges. Seven days later, without interim antiseizure medications, a repeat extended EEG showed resolution of the previously seen interictal findings. CONCLUSIONS The clinical and EEG findings were temporally associated with the patient's use of concentrated THC and may represent a constellation of symptoms of a THC wax toxidrome. In this case, THC was associated with lowering the seizure threshold and triggering a provoked seizure in an adolescent with no prior evidence of seizure tendency. This case also suggests the possibility of THC concentrate itself generating epileptiform discharges, as has previously been described with synthetic cannabinoid use.

Autoimmune Encephalitis in Children: A Case Series at a Tertiary Care Center.

Autoimmune encephalitis is the third most common cause of encephalitis in children. We provide a detailed account of presenting symptoms, diagnosis, and response to treatment in pediatric autoimmune encephalitis patients evaluated at University of California San Francisco within a 2.5-year period. Eleven were identified: anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis (n = 4), antibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis (n = 4), steroid-responsive encephalopathy associated with thyroiditis (SREAT) (n = 2), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-associated encephalitis (n = 1). Most common presenting symptoms included seizures and behavior changes (54%). More than 90% of patients showed improvement following first-line immunotherapy (high-dose corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and/or plasma exchange). A total of 64% received second-line treatment with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, or mycophenolate mofetil. One patient with NMDAR encephalitis died despite escalating immunotherapy. None of the patients showed complete recovery after median follow-up of 9 months (range 0.5-66). Children with autoimmune encephalitis have a diverse clinical presentation and may lack an identifiable autoantibody. Majority of patients show a good response to immunotherapy; however, recovery can be delayed.

Pan-viral serology implicates enteroviruses in acute flaccid myelitis.

Since 2012, the United States of America has experienced a biennial spike in pediatric acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)1-6. Epidemiologic evidence suggests non-polio enteroviruses (EVs) are a potential etiology, yet EV RNA is rarely detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)2. CSF from children with AFM (n = 42) and other pediatric neurologic disease controls (n = 58) were investigated for intrathecal antiviral antibodies, using a phage display library expressing 481,966 overlapping peptides derived from all known vertebrate and arboviruses (VirScan). Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of AFM CSF RNA (n = 20 cases) was also performed, both unbiased sequencing and with targeted enrichment for EVs. Using VirScan, the viral family significantly enriched by the CSF of AFM cases relative to controls was Picornaviridae, with the most enriched Picornaviridae peptides belonging to the genus Enterovirus (n = 29/42 cases versus 4/58 controls). EV VP1 ELISA confirmed this finding (n = 22/26 cases versus 7/50 controls). mNGS did not detect additional EV RNA. Despite rare detection of EV RNA, pan-viral serology frequently identified high levels of CSF EV-specific antibodies in AFM compared with controls, providing further evidence for a causal role of non-polio EVs in AFM.

Strategies to Maximize Enrollment in a Prospective Study of Comatose Children in the PICU.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze barriers to recruitment encountered during a prospective study in the PICU and evaluate strategies implemented to improve recruitment. DESIGN: Prospective observational study of continuous electroencephalogram monitoring in comatose children. SETTING: PICUs at four North American institutions. PATIENTS: Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of less than or equal to 8 for at least an hour. INTERVENTIONS: Four strategies to increase recruitment were sequentially implemented. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The baseline enrollment rate was 2.1 subjects/mo, which increased following the single-site introduction of real-time patient screening using an online dashboard (4.5 subjects/mo), deferred consenting (5.2 subjects/mo), and weekend screening (6.1 subjects/mo). However, the subsequent addition of three new study sites was the greatest accelerator of enrollment (21 subjects/mo), representing a 10-fold increase from baseline (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Identifying barriers to recruitment and implementing creative strategies to increase recruitment can successfully increase enrollment rates in the challenging ICU environment.

Focal seizures in children with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the electroclinical features of seizures occurring in children with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis. METHODS: Clinical features and video EEG recordings were analyzed from pediatric patients with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis at our center over a six year period. RESULTS: We identified eight pediatric patients with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis. Video EEG captured multiple focal seizures in four patients. Ictal onset in all four patients consisted of a focal rhythmic sharpened 6-12Hz activity that subsequently spread to one or both hemispheres. When there was a clinical correlate, seizure semiology was limb posturing with or without dyscognitive features. While background abnormalities were noted at presentation in three cases, the initial EEG background was normal in five, including three patients presenting with seizures. The EEG background deteriorated with clinical progression. CONCLUSIONS: Focal seizures are common in pediatric patients with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis and have a characteristic ictal onset pattern. Anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a child presenting with new onset focal seizures, irrespective of the EEG background, especially if accompanied by dyskinesia, psychiatric symptoms or impaired cognition.

Development and validation of a seizure prediction model in critically ill children.

PURPOSE: Electrographic seizures are common in encephalopathic critically ill children, but identification requires continuous EEG monitoring (CEEG). Development of a seizure prediction model would enable more efficient use of limited CEEG resources. We aimed to develop and validate a seizure prediction model for use among encephalopathic critically ill children. METHOD: We developed a seizure prediction model using a retrospectively acquired multi-center database of children with acute encephalopathy without an epilepsy diagnosis, who underwent clinically indicated CEEG. We performed model validation using a separate prospectively acquired single center database. Predictor variables were chosen to be readily available to clinicians prior to the onset of CEEG and included: age, etiology category, clinical seizures prior to CEEG, initial EEG background category, and inter-ictal discharge category. RESULTS: The model has fair to good discrimination ability and overall performance. At the optimal cut-off point in the validation dataset, the model has a sensitivity of 59% and a specificity of 81%. Varied cut-off points could be chosen to optimize sensitivity or specificity depending on available CEEG resources. CONCLUSION: Despite inherent variability between centers, a model developed using multi-center CEEG data and few readily available variables could guide the use of limited CEEG resources when applied at a single center. Depending on CEEG resources, centers could choose lower cut-off points to maximize identification of all patients with seizures (but with more patients monitored) or higher cut-off points to reduce resource utilization by reducing monitoring of lower risk patients (but with failure to identify some patients with seizures).

Electrographic seizures after convulsive status epilepticus in children and young adults: a retrospective multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of electrographic seizures after convulsive status epilepticus (CSE). STUDY DESIGN: This was a multicenter retrospective study in which we describe clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) features of children (1 month to 21 years) with CSE who underwent continuous EEG monitoring. RESULTS: Ninety-eight children (53 males) with CSE (median age of 5 years) underwent subsequent continuous EEG monitoring after CSE. Electrographic seizures (with or without clinical correlate) were identified in 32 subjects (33%). Eleven subjects (34.4%) had electrographic-only seizures, 17 subjects (53.1%) had electroclinical seizures, and 4 subjects (12.5%) had an unknown clinical correlate. Of the 32 subjects with electrographic seizures, 15 subjects (46.9%) had electrographic status epilepticus. Factors associated with the occurrence of electrographic seizures after CSE were a previous diagnosis of epilepsy (P = .029) and the presence of interictal epileptiform discharges (P < .0005). The median (p25-p75) duration of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit was longer for children with electrographic seizures than for children without electrographic seizures (9.5 [3-22.5] vs 2 [2-5] days, Wilcoxon test, Z = 3.916, P = .0001). Four children (4.1%) died before leaving the hospital, and we could not identify a relationship between death and the presence or absence of electrographic seizures. CONCLUSIONS: After CSE, one-third of children who underwent EEG monitoring experienced electrographic seizures, and among these, one-third experienced entirely electrographic-only seizures. A previous diagnosis of epilepsy and the presence of interictal epileptiform discharges were risk factors for electrographic seizures.

Electroencephalography monitoring in critically ill children: current practice and implications for future study design.

PURPOSE: Survey data indicate that continuous electroencephalography (EEG) (CEEG) monitoring is used with increasing frequency to identify electrographic seizures in critically ill children, but studies of current CEEG practice have not been conducted. We aimed to describe the clinical utilization of CEEG in critically ill children at tertiary care hospitals with a particular focus on variables essential for designing feasible prospective multicenter studies evaluating the impact of electrographic seizures on outcome. METHODS: Eleven North American centers retrospectively enrolled 550 consecutive critically ill children who underwent CEEG. We collected data regarding subject characteristics, CEEG indications, and CEEG findings. KEY FINDINGS: CEEG indications were encephalopathy with possible seizures in 67% of subjects, event characterization in 38% of subjects, and management of refractory status epilepticus in 11% of subjects. CEEG was initiated outside routine work hours in 47% of subjects. CEEG duration was <12 h in 16%, 12-24 h in 34%, and >24 h in 48%. Substantial variability existed among sites in CEEG indications and neurologic diagnoses, yet within each acute neurologic diagnosis category a similar proportion of subjects at each site had electrographic seizures. Electrographic seizure characteristics including distribution and duration varied across sites and neurologic diagnoses. SIGNIFICANCE: These data provide a systematic assessment of recent CEEG use in critically ill children and indicate variability in practice. The results suggest that multicenter studies are feasible if CEEG monitoring pathways can be standardized. However, the data also indicate that electrographic seizure variability must be considered when designing studies that address the impact of electrographic seizures on outcome.

Electrographic seizures in pediatric ICU patients: cohort study of risk factors and mortality.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the incidence of electrographic seizures in children in the pediatric intensive care unit who underwent EEG monitoring, risk factors for electrographic seizures, and whether electrographic seizures were associated with increased odds of mortality. METHODS: Eleven sites in North America retrospectively reviewed a total of 550 consecutive children in pediatric intensive care units who underwent EEG monitoring. We collected data on demographics, diagnoses, clinical seizures, mental status at EEG onset, EEG background, interictal epileptiform discharges, electrographic seizures, intensive care unit length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Electrographic seizures occurred in 162 of 550 subjects (30%), of which 61 subjects (38%) had electrographic status epilepticus. Electrographic seizures were exclusively subclinical in 59 of 162 subjects (36%). A multivariable logistic regression model showed that independent risk factors for electrographic seizures included younger age, clinical seizures prior to EEG monitoring, an abnormal initial EEG background, interictal epileptiform discharges, and a diagnosis of epilepsy. Subjects with electrographic status epilepticus had greater odds of in-hospital death, even after adjusting for EEG background and neurologic diagnosis category. CONCLUSIONS: Electrographic seizures are common among children in the pediatric intensive care unit, particularly those with specific risk factors. Electrographic status epilepticus occurs in more than one-third of children with electrographic seizures and is associated with higher in-hospital mortality.

Electroencephalographic monitoring in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Continuous electroencephalographic (CEEG) monitoring is used with increasing frequency in critically ill children to provide insight into brain function and to identify electrographic seizures. CEEG monitoring use often impacts clinical management, most often by identifying electrographic seizures and status epilepticus. Most electrographic seizures have no clinical correlate, and thus would not be identified without CEEG monitoring. There are increasing data showing that electrographic seizures and electrographic status epilepticus are associated with worse outcome. Seizure identification efficiency may be improved by further development of quantitative electroencephalography trends. This review describes the clinical impact of CEEG data, the epidemiology of electrographic seizures and status epilepticus, the impact of electrographic seizures on outcome, the utility of quantitative electroencephalographic trends for seizure identification, and practical considerations regarding CEEG monitoring.