Background and PurposeThe neuroregenerative drug Cerebrolysin has demonstrated efficacy in improving cognition in adults with stroke and Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of Cerebrolysin in the treatment of communication defects in infants with severe perinatal brain insult.MethodsA randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in which 158 infants (age 6-21 months) with communication defects due to severe perinatal brain insult were enrolled; 120 infants completed the study. The Cerebrolysin group (n=60) received twice-weekly Cerebrolysin injections of 0.1 mL/kg body weight for 5 weeks (total of ten injections). The placebo group (n=60) received the same amount and number of normal saline injections.ResultsThe baseline Communication and Symbolic-Behavior-Scale-Developmental Profile scores were comparable between the two groups. After 3 months, the placebo group exhibited improvements in the social (p<0.01) and speech composite (p=0.02) scores, with 10% and 1.5% increases from baseline, respectively. The scores of the Cerebrolysin group changed from concern to no concern, with increases of 65.44%, 45.54%, 358.06%, and 96.00% from baseline in the social (p<0.001), speech (p<0.001), symbolic (p<0.001), and total (p<0.001) scores.ConclusionsCerebrolysin dramatically improved infants' communication especially symbolic behavior which positively affected social interaction. These findings suggest that cerebrolysin may be an effective and feasible way equivalent to stem cell therapy.
After nine months of MAD, growth and seizure parameters significantly improved in the intractable epilepsy patients as well as their mothers& QoL. We thus recommend MAD as a more flexible alternative in intractable epilepsy patients who can not tolerate classic KD.
Idiopathic Epilepsy in children is associated with several comorbidities. Tics and other deviant behaviors are some of them which could negatively impact the family quality of life. The current study aimed at comparing quality of life and behavioral test results in children with epilepsy and tics versus those with epilepsy only.
Patients and Methods
Sixty patients with idiopathic epilepsy aged from 4 to 18 years participated in the current study. Group I included 30 patients with idiopathic epilepsy and tic disorders aged 10.1+/-3.2 years and group II 30 with epilepsy only aged 10.1+/-3.1 years. The Arabic version of the Pediatric quality of life inventory 4.0 (PedsQLTM 4.0), the Arabic translation of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores were used and Conner’s parent rating scale were used. The results were compared between the 2 participating groups.
Results
Group I patients had worse total quality of life scores for both the child’s and parent’s scores compared to group II patients (p<0.05). CBCL scores were significantly higher in group I regarding most of the internalizing and externalizing domains yet the total score was non-significantly higher in group I compared to group II (p=0.05). Group I patients had higher total Conner’s score compared to group II; (p=0.045). Furthermore, those with ADHD in group I was 70% compared to 50% in group II.
Conclusion
Tic disorders in the context of idiopathic epilepsy should be addressed seriously as they are associated with other behavioral defects that require intervention to achieve better quality of life.
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