W07 - PAEDS: Neurology; Special Needs; Genetics Flashcards
Developmental Hx
Motor milestone: gross & fine motor
Speech and language dev.
Early cognitive development
Play & Social behaviour
Self-help skills
Vision & Hearing
Common neuro consultations
- migraine
- brain injury
- tourette syndrome
- epilepsy
- brain tumours
Headaches in Children
- parents commonly looking for reassurance it’s nothing sinister
isolated acute
recurrent acute
chronic progressive
chronic non-prog.
- OFC, BP, growth
- sinuses, teeth, visual acuity, fundoscopy, cranial bruit
- focal signs
+TENSION HEADACHE: diffuse symmetrical band, constant
+ Analgesia overuse
Childhood migraine
- abdo pain, N&V
- focal symptoms: vis., paresthesia, weakness
- pallow
- photophobic, noise
- fatigue, stress
?FHx
Red flags for paeds headache
- WORSENS WITH COUGHING, STRAINING, BENDING = ICP
+ morniing headache vom.
When to neuroimage
- cerebellar dysfunction
- ICP
- New focal deficit e.g squint
- Seizures
- personality change
- unexplained deterioration
Mgmt of Chiildhood Headaches
Migraine
> Triptans
> Pain relief
> Preventative
- pizotifen
- proranolol
- amitryptyline
- topiramate
- valporate
TTH
> analgesia (CI in chronic TTH)
> preventative: amitryptilline
Seizure mimics in Children (Paroxysmal Non-Epileptic Events)
Non epileptic paroxysmal events are recurrent movement disorders with acute onset and ending, which may mimic epilepsy.
- insults
- hypoxic: anoxic seizure (toddlers)
- syncope
- parasomnias: night terror
- pyschogenic non-epileptic seizures
Seizures in Children
1) FEBRILE CONVULSION
* fever w/o evidence of intracranial infection or defined cause for seizure
* common
2) Stiff = Tonic seizure
3) Fall = Atonic/tonic/myoclonic
4) Vacant = absence, complex partial seizure
5) Jerk/Shake = clonic, myoclonic, spasms
Mechanisms of epileptic fit
Decreased inhibition (gama-amino-butyric acid, GABA)
Excessive excitation (glutamate and aspartate)
Excessive influx of Na and Ca ions
= partial
OR
= generalised (common in children)
Investigating seizures/fits in children and mgmt
- clinical dx
- ECG
- EEG
- MRI brain
- genetics? metabolic tests?
anti epileptic drugs: only if clear dx of electrical event
>1) sodium val: CI: girls / Levetiracetam for GENERALISED
> 1) CARBAMEZEPINE for FOCAL
>
- lamotrigine
>
- steroids, immunoglobulins, ketogenic diet
> VNS: If resective epilepsy surgery is not suitable for a person with drug-resistant seizures, consider vagus nerve stimulation as an add-on treatment to antiseizure medication.
What is the last fontanelle to close?
Anterior fontanelle between 1-3yo
- posterior fontanelle closes first
Microcephaly and Macrocephaly
Utilising OFC
OFC <2 = mild micro
OFC <3 = mod/severe
OFC >2SD
Head shape problem types
PLAGIOCEPHALY = flat head
BRACHYCEPHALY = short head or flat at back
SCAPHOCEPHALY = boat shaped skull
Craniosynostosis = fusion too early
Neuromuscular Disorder Signs
- floppy from birth
- slips from hands
- paucity of limb movements
- alert but less motor activity
- delayed motor milestones
- walks but falls frequently