Analysis of the correlation between three methods used in the assessment of children with cerebral palsy.

The primary aim of this study was to assess the correlations between gait analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) scores in children with cerebral palsy (CP). These common diagnostic tools were used to evaluate 21 children affected by CP (mean age: 6 years, range: 5-13 years; 8 females and 13 males; 5 left hemiplegics, 4 right hemiplegics, 12 diplegics). In particular, in order to compare gait analysis data with other diagnostic evaluations, the Normalcy Index (NI) was used. The results showed a good correlation between the NI and the results of MRI, and between NI and the GMFM score (r=-0.76). Therefore, this investigation demonstrated that there exists a strong relationship between gait analysis and other clinical evaluation tools.

The Effect of Experimental Supplementation with the Klamath Algae Extract Klamin on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurobiological condition with onset in childhood. The disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and/or motor hyperactivity, which often affect the development and social integration of affected subjects. Phenylethylamine (PEA), naturally contained in the Klamath Lake microalgae and concentrated in the Klamin® extract, is an endogenous molecule with a general neuromodulatory activity. It functions as an activator for the neurotransmission of dopamine and other catecholamines, and very low concentrations of PEA may be associated with specific psychological disorders such as ADHD. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Klamin extract in treating a group of subjects diagnosed with ADHD. Thirty subjects, aged 6-15, who had been diagnosed with ADHD according to the DSM-IV TR criteria, were enrolled. The supplement was administered to all the subjects, who reported to an ADHD clinic for routine follow-up visits. Observations were made and data collected over a 6-month period. After 6 months of therapy the subjects appeared to show significant improvements based on assessments of their overall functioning, behavioral aspects related to inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, attention functions in both the selective and sustained component and executive functions. The study appears to confirm the initial hypothesis that the Klamin extract may positively affect the expression of ADHD symptoms. Additional larger studies on the effects of Klamin on ADHD are needed to further investigate the potential of this extract in ADHD treatment.

Factors predicting the efficacy of botulinum toxin-A treatment of the lower limb in children with cerebral palsy.

Botulinum toxin A is widely used for spasticity management in children with cerebral palsy, although outcomes are unpredictable. The aim of this study was to identify criteria for selecting patients most likely to benefit from botulinum toxin A treatment. Fifty-five subjects, aged 2.5 to 18 years, were recruited. The assessment covered measures of spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), function (using the Gross Motor Function Measure and the Physician's Rating Scale), selective motor control, static range of motion at the ankle with knee extended and flexed, range of motion of the knee flexors, central and peripheral vision, and cognitive ability. Outcomes at 3 months were compared with baseline values. All of the scales showed significant differences between pre- and postinjection values. Significantly increased Gross Motor Function Measure scores were found in children aged 48 months or under and in those able to walk with support. Greater improvements in selective motor control and Physician's Rating Scale were seen in those with a less severe pattern of paralysis, lower levels of impairment, the ability to walk (with or without support), normal visual acuity, and normal or borderline cognition. We identified factors that mark out patients as most likely to achieve functional gains: young age, hemiplegia or diplegia, slight to moderate disability, walking with support, normal or borderline cognition, and normal or borderline visual acuity.

Visual-perceptual impairment in children with periventricular leukomalacia.

We set out to define visuo-perceptual impairment related to periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) using the Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP). Correlations were sought between visual-perceptual deficits and DTVP profile and neuroradiological and neurophthalmological findings. The DTVP was administered to 20 children (m/f: 10/10), aged between 5 and 8 years (mean: 6.95 years), presenting with: spastic diplegia; PVL documented by brain MRI; normal or mildly impaired visual acuity; mild-moderate upper limb functional impairment. The mean General Visual-Perceptual Quotient was impaired, showing a great variability among the patients. Despite this, an uneven DTPV profile, characterised by a significant difference between the VMIQ and the Non-Motor Visual-Perceptual Quotient (P < 0.001) and a poor result on the Closure subtest (identification of whole figures from incomplete visual information) was observed in all the subjects. This profile reflects a deficit in eye-hand coordination and in praxic-constructional abilities and could be the expression of malfunctioning of the occipital-parietal pathway of visual integration, the so-called 'dorsal stream,' a hypothesis reinforced by the emergence of a statistically significant correlation between the neuroradiological data and the presence of visual-perceptual impairment.