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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Five hundred and forty four cases of cerebral palsy were studied to find the etiology. Male to female ratio was 1.9:1. Prenatal, natal and postnatal factors were found in 42 (7.72%), 238 (43.75%) and 142 (26.1%) cases respectively. Only 79 (14.52%) cases were found to have more than one factor which could have contributed to brain damage. In 43 (7.9%) cases the prenatal, natal and postnatal history were normal and the cause was not known. Toxemia (1.29%) cases and microcephaly (1.84%) cases were the most common etiological factors in the prenatal category. Among the natal causes, birth anoxia was the most common etiological factor and was observed in 24.45% cases. Infections of the central nervous system comprised the major etiopathogenetic factors of the postnatal causes--11.95% cases had encephalitis, while 5.15% cases had meningitis. In cases where more than one etiology was present, the most frequent causes were a combination of prematurity or birth anoxia in association with toxemia, antepartum hemorrhage, prolonged labour, twins, forceps or caesarean delivery. Anoxia was consistently the most common etiological factor in those cases of monoplegia paraplegia, quadriplegia, diplegia, and ataxia, i.e. in 0.55%, 1.29%, 11.76%, 6.07% and 0.55% cases respectively. The present study reveals that majority of the cases were found to have natal or post natal etiology.
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PMID:Cerebral palsy--an etiological study. 134 Aug 61

A pediatric neurologist analyzed the case histories of 30 4-16 year old children diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia in the pediatric neurology unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, Scotland to examine its clinical features, investigative findings, and etiology. Previous unfavorable events happened to 14 children (46.6%). Yet only 6 (42.8%) of these 14 children had unfavorable events of etiological significance. These previous unfavorable events occurred during the perinatal period (48%). These events in order of significance were asphyxia, prematurity, neonatal jaundice, and trauma. 66.6% of all children had an unsteady gait. The 2nd and 3rd most common signs of cerebellar ataxia were truncal ataxia (53.3%) and hypotonia (36.6%). The next most common symptom was considerable delay in reaching gross motor milestones (50%) such as not sitting until 2 years old. 23 (76.6%) of the children had dysfunctions in 1 of the cerebellar divisions. Clinical examination found dysfunctions most often in the paleocerebellum (86.6) followed by the neocerebellum (70%) and archicerebellum (56.6%). The paleocerebellum and the archicerebellum were the only divisions involved in 6 and 1 of the remaining children, respectively. The most common cause of ataxia was hydrocephalus (23.3%) followed by perinatal problems (20%). 70% of the patients also experienced other central nervous system conditions such as macrocephaly and mental retardation. 5 children had normal investigative findings, 3 of whom had cerebellar ataxia syndrome, 1 had congenital ataxic cerebral palsy, and 1 had familiar ataxia.
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PMID:Cerebellar ataxia in childhood: a review of clinical features, investigative findings and aetiology in 30 cases. 150 89

To evaluate the topographical neurological distribution, patterns of abnormal tone and related functional neuromotor impairment after grade 3 and grade 4 intraventricular/periventricular haemorrhage (IPVH), 33 children with previous grade 3 or 4 IPVH of mean gestational age 30.9 weeks (range 25-40 weeks) and mean birth weight 1743 g (range 866-3600 g) were examined neurologically at 4.7 years (range 0.75-10.8 years). Neurological signs were absent in 10/33 cases which were equally distributed between the grade 3 and grade 4 IPVH groups. The largest single topographical neurological distribution was hemiparesis in 8/23, followed jointly by diplegia (cerebral paraplegia) in 6/23 and triplegia in 6/23 cases and finally quadriplegia in 3/23 cases. Grade 4 IPVH tended to result in asymmetrical syndromes, accounting for 7/8 cases of hemiparesis and 5/6 cases of triplegia, whereas all 3/3 cases of quadriplegia followed grade 3 IPVH. The 6/23 cases of diplegia were shared between the grade 3 and grade 4 IPVH groups. Tone was normal in 7/8 of the hemiparetic subjects. Dystonia was the commonest tone abnormality, affecting 8/23 children with neurological disturbance, followed by ataxia/hypotonia in 4/23 and mixed dystonia/hypotonia in 3/23. Only 1/23 cases had signs of spasticity. Spasticity is rare following severe IPVH. Diplegic children had a better functional neuromotor grade than hemiparetic children, who in turn did better than triplegic children. Ataxia hypotonia resulted in better functional outcome than dystronia, which in turn was more favourable than mixed tone patterns. Cranial imaging by ultrasound (US) or computed tomographic (CT) scanning proved an unreliable prognostic indicator except in the case of hemiparesis, for which US scans correctly predicted the affected side in 5/7 cases. The neurological syndromes following severe IPVH differ from the classical encephalopathy of prematurity, and this should lead to a re-appraisal of the trends in the prevalence of cerebral palsy. Caution should be exercised in the interpretation of cranial imaging with regard to pessimistic prognoses in the presence of changes or undue optimism in their absence.
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PMID:Heterogeneity of neurological syndromes in survivors of grade 3 and 4 periventricular haemorrhage. 840 2

Reduced hindbrain herniation observed after intrauterine myelomeningocoele repair suggests that posterior fossa changes in myelomeningocoele are secondary results of prolonged prenatal spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak. Exceptionally, this transforaminal herniation results in 'degeneration' of cerebellar tissue, presumably due to mechanically induced ischaemia. This phenomenon was called 'vanishing cerebellum in Chiari II malformation'. We report three similar cases of this apparently rare finding. Pregnancies were normal. Cerebellar hypoplasia was already recognized in one instance by prenatal ultrasound at gestational week 25. Postnatal imaging was similar in all three patients showing small posterior fossa, beaked midbrain tectum, small brainstem without pontine prominence, reduced cerebellar tissue with virtual absence of one hemisphere and supratentorial hydrocephalus. Our series is too small to draw firm conclusions about predisposing risk factors for and consequences of vanishing cerebellum. Cerebellar damage can interfere with cognitive development, as shown in children with cerebellar agenesis/ hypoplasia, congenital ataxia and small cerebellum following prematurity. A final conclusion on the cognitive consequence of vanishing cerebellum cannot be drawn on the available literature and our limited observations, as one of our patients died at 3 months and another is still too young for appropriate testing. However, the third (aged 15 years) is very severely retarded.
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PMID:Vanishing cerebellum in myelomeningocoele. 1199 57

Severe injury to the cerebellum as a complication of extreme prematurity with extremely low birthweight was recently described in 13 children with the clinical diagnosis of cerebral palsy. We report another 10 cases of this syndrome. The clinical features include striking motor impairment and variable degrees of ataxia and athetosis or dystonia, which represent a distinct clinical type of cerebral palsy. Most are severely damaged, with cognitive, language, and motor delays. All are microcephalic, except one with hydrocephalus. Neuroimaging studies demonstrate the absence of major portions of the cerebellum involving both the inferior vermis and hemispheres. Most also have injury of a less severe nature in the cerebrum. This report indicates that this is not an uncommon outcome of extremely low birthweight infants, and we hope to encourage further investigations into the relative frequency and likely etiologies of the condition.
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PMID:Cerebellar injury in the extremely premature infant: newly recognized but relatively common outcome. 1579 81

Over the last decade, increasing evidence of cognitive functions of the cerebellum during development and learning processes could be ascertained. Posterior fossa malformations such as cerebellar hypoplasia or Joubert syndrome are known to be related to developmental problems in a marked to moderate extent. More detailed analyses reveal special deficits in attention, processing speed, visuospatial functions and language. A study about Dandy Walker syndrome states a relationship of abnormalities in vermis lobulation with developmental problems. Further lobulation or volume abnormalities of the cerebellum and/or vermis can be detected in disorders as fragile X syndrome, Downs's syndrome or William's syndrome. Neuropsychological studies reveal a relation of dyslexia and attention deficit disorder with cerebellar functions. These functional studies are supported by structural abnormalities in neuroimaging in these disorders. Acquired cerebellar or vermis atrophy was found in groups of children with developmental problems such as prenatal alcohol exposure or extreme prematurity. Also focal lesions during childhood or adolescence such as cerebellar tumour or stroke are related with neuropsychological abnormalities, which are most pronounced in visuo-spatial, language and memory functions. In addition, cerebellar atrophy was shown to be a bad prognostic factor considering cognitive outcome in children after brain trauma and leukaemia. In ataxia teleangiectasia, a neurodegenerative disorder affecting primarily the cerebellar cortex, a reduced verbal IQ and problems of judgment of duration are a hint of the importance of the cerebellum in cognition. In conclusion, the cerebellum seems to play an important role in many higher cognitive functions especially in learning. There is a suggestion that the earlier the incorrect influence the more pronounced the problems.
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PMID:The cerebellum in cognitive processes: supporting studies in children. 1778 20

Over the last decade, increasing evidence of cognitive functions of the cerebellum during development and learning processes could be ascertained. Posterior fossa malformations such as cerebellar hypoplasia or Joubert syndrome are known to be related to developmental problems in a marked to moderate extent. More detailed analyses reveal special deficits in attention, processing speed, visuospatial functions, and language. A study about Dandy Walker syndrome states a relationship of abnormalities in vermis lobulation with developmental problems. Further lobulation or volume abnormalities of the cerebellum and/or vermis can be detected in disorders as fragile X syndrome, Downs's syndrome, William's syndrome, and autism. Neuropsychological studies reveal a relation of dyslexia and attention deficit disorder with cerebellar functions. These functional studies are supported by structural abnormalities in neuroimaging in these disorders. Acquired cerebellar or vermis atrophy was found in groups of children with developmental problems such as prenatal alcohol exposure or extreme prematurity. Also, focal lesions during childhood or adolescence such as cerebellar tumor or stroke are related with neuropsychological abnormalities, which are most pronounced in visuospatial, language, and memory functions. In addition, cerebellar atrophy was shown to be a bad prognostic factor considering cognitive outcome in children after brain trauma and leukemia. In ataxia teleangiectasia, a neurodegenerative disorder affecting primarily the cerebellar cortex, a reduced verbal intelligence quotient and problems of judgment of duration are a hint of the importance of the cerebellum in cognition. In conclusion, the cerebellum seems to play an important role in many higher cognitive functions, especially in learning. There is a suggestion that the earlier the incorrect influence, the more pronounced the problems.
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PMID:Cerebellar disorders in childhood: cognitive problems. 1905 77

The involvement of the cerebellum in unfavorable outcomes of extreme prematurity is increasingly recognized. Evidence implicates both cerebellar injury and cerebellar growth failure, which, along with supratentorial lesions, aggravate motor and developmental outcomes. We describe clinical and neuroradiologic findings of 12 extremely premature patients with acquired pontocerebellar hypoplasia (mean follow-up, 4 years). Patients' neuromotor outcomes involved combined motor abnormalities (spasticity, dystonia, and ataxia), whereas 25% were ambulatory by age 4 years. All patients exhibited developmental delays of variable degrees. One patient died at age 7.5 years. The possible etiopathogenesis, presentations, sequelae, and differential diagnoses of acquired pontocerebellar hypoplasia are discussed.
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PMID:Pontocerebellar hypoplasia in extreme prematurity: clinical and neuroimaging findings. 2329 20

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy is a well-known mitochondrial disorder that leads to bilateral subacute visual failure. Although visual impairment is often the sole clinical feature, additional and severe neurologic abnormalities also have been documented for this disease. We report on a 13-year-old boy who has presented with severe visual failure since early childhood in a context of prematurity. In the first years of his life, clinical features included delayed psychomotor development and ataxia. The clinical presentation, which was initially attributed to prematurity, worsened thereafter, and the child developed acute neurologic degradation with the typical radiological findings of Leigh syndrome. The mitochondrial DNA point mutation 11778G>A was identified in the ND4 gene. The probable influence of environmental background on clinical expression of Leber optic neuropathy, particularly those of prematurity and oxygen therapy, is discussed in our manuscript.
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PMID:Uncommon Leber "plus" disease associated with mitochondrial mutation m.11778G>A in a premature child. 2386 91