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BJPsych Open Apr 2024Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterised by psychomotor changes that can affect individuals across the lifespan. Although features of catatonia have been...
BACKGROUND
Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterised by psychomotor changes that can affect individuals across the lifespan. Although features of catatonia have been described in adults, the most common clinical symptoms among paediatric patients with catatonia are not well characterised.
AIMS
The goal of this study was to characterise the symptoms of catatonia demonstrated by paediatric patients, and to explore demographic and diagnostic factors associated with greater catatonia severity.
METHOD
We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study, from 1 January 2018 to 6 January 2023, of patients aged 18 and younger with a clinical diagnosis of catatonia and symptom assessment using the Bush Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS).
RESULTS
A total of 143 patients met inclusion criteria. The median age was 15 (interquartile range: 13-16) years and 66 (46.2%) patients were female. Neurodevelopmental disabilities were present in 55 (38.5%) patients. Patients demonstrated a mean of 6.0 ± 2.1 signs of catatonia on the Bush Francis Catatonia Screening Item, with a mean BFCRS score of 15.0 ± 5.9. Among the 23 items of the BFCRS, six were present in >50% of patients (staring, mutism, immobility/stupor, withdrawal, posturing/catalepsy, rigidity), and four were present in <20% of cases (waxy flexibility, mitgehen, gegenhalten, grasp reflex). In an adjusted model, patients with neurodevelopmental disorders demonstrated greater BFCRS severity than those with other diagnoses.
CONCLUSIONS
Catatonia was diagnosed in a range of mental health conditions. Further research is needed to define optimal diagnostic criteria for catatonia in paediatric patients, and clarify the clinical course of the disorder.
PubMed: 38686558
DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2024.61 -
Cureus Aug 2023Catatonia, a relatively rare and less explored consequence of lithium-induced hypercalcemia, represents a notable yet understudied side effect. Lithium is utilized in...
Catatonia, a relatively rare and less explored consequence of lithium-induced hypercalcemia, represents a notable yet understudied side effect. Lithium is utilized in the management of acute mania and as a maintenance therapy for bipolar disorder. However, the specific catatonic presentation resulting from hypercalcemia remains poorly understood. Here, we present a case study involving a 55-year-old male with a history of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, who had been receiving lithium therapy. The patient presented with catatonia and altered mental status. Manifesting as mutism, rigidity, immobility, and staring, these symptoms were subsequently attributed to hyperparathyroidism-induced hypercalcemia. Markedly elevated levels of both calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were detected in the patient's laboratory results. The patient's lithium therapy was promptly discontinued. Serum calcium and PTH levels began to decrease gradually and returned to normal limits over 29 days. The patient returned to his baseline level of functionality. There was a notable improvement in his mental status and his ability to communicate using simple sentences. This case underscores the significance of recognizing uncommon clinical presentations of hypercalcemia in patients undergoing chronic lithium therapy. Given the broad range of neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with hypercalcemia, it is crucial to enhance our understanding of this phenomenon and develop the capacity to differentiate it from primary psychiatric disturbances.
PubMed: 37750135
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44114 -
Frontiers in Neurology 2023Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rare, rapidly progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. We describe a man whose initial manifestations of CJD occurred...
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a rare, rapidly progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. We describe a man whose initial manifestations of CJD occurred shortly after contracting Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). He first developed anxiety and short-term memory loss a few weeks after a mild COVID-19 infection. He subsequently developed parkinsonism, eventually progressed to akinetic mutism, and passed away 5 months after symptom onset. This case highlights a potential temporal relationship between COVID-19 infection and the onset of neurodegenerative symptoms. Microglia and astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) and 'S1' spike proteins on SARS-CoV-2 are potential mediators in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
PubMed: 37609652
DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1239576 -
European Journal of Paediatric... Jan 2024Children who underwent posterior fossa tumor removal may have spoken or written language impairments. The present systematic review synthesized the literature regarding... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Children who underwent posterior fossa tumor removal may have spoken or written language impairments. The present systematic review synthesized the literature regarding the language outcomes in this population. Benefits of this work were the identification of shortcomings in the literature and a starting point toward formulating guidelines for postoperative language assessment.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying studies with patients who had posterior fossa surgery before 18 years of age. Included studies were narratively synthesized to understand language outcomes by language function (e.g., phonology, morphosyntax) at a group and individual level. Furthermore, the influence of several mediators (e.g., postoperative cerebellar mutism syndrome (pCMS), tumor type) was investigated. A critical evaluation of the language assessment tools was conducted.
RESULTS
The narrative synthesis of 66 studies showed that a broad spectrum of language impairments has been described, characterized by a large interindividual heterogeneity. Patients younger at diagnosis, receiving treatment for a high-grade tumor and/or radiotherapy and diagnosed with pCMS seemed more prone to impairment. Several gaps in language assessment remain, such as a baseline preoperative assessment and the assessment of pragmatics and morphosyntax. Further, there were important methodological differences in existing studies which complicated our ability to accurately guide clinical practice.
CONCLUSION
Children who had posterior fossa surgery seem to be at risk for postoperative language impairment. These results stress the need for language follow-up in posterior fossa tumor survivors.
Topics: Child; Humans; Postoperative Complications; Brain Neoplasms; Infratentorial Neoplasms; Cerebellar Diseases; Neurosurgical Procedures; Mutism; Cerebellar Neoplasms
PubMed: 38377646
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2023.12.005 -
Anaerobe Dec 2023We described a case of a 65-year-old man with a brain abscess caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Eubacterium nodatum. The patient presented right central facial...
We described a case of a 65-year-old man with a brain abscess caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Eubacterium nodatum. The patient presented right central facial nerve palsy, mutism and right hemiparesis at the examination. The patient underwent a left frontal craniotomy with evacuation of the brain abscess. Specimens were collected for microbiological analysis and intravenous treatment was started with levetiracetam, dexamethasone, meropenem (1 g/8 h) and linezolid (600 mg/12 h). After identification of anaerobic bacteria the antibiotic treatment was changed to piperacillin/tazobactam (4 g/0,5 g/8 h), fulfilling 8 weeks of antibiotic with good clinical and radiological evolution.
Topics: Male; Humans; Aged; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Eubacterium; Brain Abscess; Stroke; Bacteria, Anaerobic; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 38007215
DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2023.102801 -
Neurological Sciences : Official... May 2024Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) is a frequent complication of surgical intervention on posterior fossa in children. It has been only occasionally reported in adults and... (Review)
Review
Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) is a frequent complication of surgical intervention on posterior fossa in children. It has been only occasionally reported in adults and its features have not been fully characterized. In children and in young adults, medulloblastoma is the main reason for neurosurgery. A single case of postsurgical CMS is presented in an adult patient with a cerebellar hemorrhage and a systematic review of the published individual cases of CMS in adults was done. Literature review of individual cases found 30 patients, 18/30 (60%) males, from 20 to 71 years at diagnosis. All but one case was post-surgical, but in one of the post-surgical cases iatrogenic basilar artery occlusion was proposed as cause for CMS. The causes were: primary tumors of the posterior fossa in 16/22 (72.7%) metastasis in 3/30 (10%), ischemia in 3/30 (10%) cerebellar hemorrhage in 3/30 (10%), and benign lesions in 2/30 (6.7%) patients. 8/30 patients (26.7%) were reported as having persistent or incomplete resolution of CMS within 12 months. CMS is a rare occurrence in adults and spontaneous cerebellar hemorrhage has been reported in 3/30 (10%) adult patients. The generally accepted hypothesis is that CMS results from bilateral damage to the dentate nucleus or the dentate-rubro-thalamic tract, leading to cerebro-cerebellar diaschisis. Several causes might contribute in adults. The prognosis of CMS is slightly worse in adults than in children, but two thirds of cases show a complete resolution within 6 months.
PubMed: 38724752
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07571-z -
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery May 2024Tumors in the fourth ventricle can be critical due to the small size of the fourth ventricle, which causes symptoms to be detected even in the presence of lesser mass... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Comparative Study Review
BACKGROUND
Tumors in the fourth ventricle can be critical due to the small size of the fourth ventricle, which causes symptoms to be detected even in the presence of lesser mass effects. A proper surgical approach to the fourth ventricle poses challenges due to its deep location and proximity to vital compartments within the brainstem. The two commonly used approaches to these tumors are the transvermian and telovelar approaches.
METHODS
A comprehensive systematic study was conducted based on a literature search of the databases. All case controls, cohorts, and case series including patients with fourth ventricle tumors, who were operated on with either telovelar or transvermian approaches were considered eligible. The evaluated outcomes were comparative postoperative complications of the telovelar vs. transvermian approach. After screening and data extraction, a meta-analysis was performed whenever adequate quantitative data were available.
RESULTS
Seven studies with a total number of 848 patients, discussed both telovelar and transvermian approaches, with comparative reporting of outcomes in each group. Postoperative outcomes including cranial nerve deficit, mutism, diplopia, CSF leak, need for CSF diversion, and postoperative gait disturbance were not significantly different between telovelar and transvermian approaches.
CONCLUSION
Postoperative complications were not significantly different between telovelar and transvermian approaches. Moreover, it could be proposed that such complications would be more likely to be a multifactorial matter concerning the patient's clinical condition, tumor characteristics, and surgeon's experience, rather than the surgical approach alone.
Topics: Humans; Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms; Fourth Ventricle; Neurosurgical Procedures; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 38579552
DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2024.108259 -
Cureus Aug 2023Catatonia is a behavioral syndrome characterized by a variety of symptoms such as mutism, stupor, rigidity, negativism, and verbigeration. It can be caused by various...
Catatonia is a behavioral syndrome characterized by a variety of symptoms such as mutism, stupor, rigidity, negativism, and verbigeration. It can be caused by various psychiatric and general medical conditions. While the diagnosis in the pediatric population is relatively uncommon, emerging literature supports a higher prevalence of catatonia in children. We present a 12-year-old girl with a complex medical and psychosocial history, including a functional neurological disorder and concerns for child abuse and Munchausen syndrome by proxy imposed by her mother. The patient was initially admitted for medical management of vomiting and refusal to eat. Child psychiatry was consulted for further assessment and noted multiple catatonic symptoms with a Busch-Francis catatonia rating scale (BFCRS) score of 22. A subsequent 1 mg IV lorazepam challenge test showed improvement in the patient's symptoms with a repeat BFCRS score of 10. This case supports emerging literature suggesting a higher prevalence of catatonia in children and the importance of recognizing this syndrome and its wide array of underlying causes.
PubMed: 37680395
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43082 -
Child's Nervous System : ChNS :... Jan 2024Posterior fossa tumour surgery in children entails a high risk for severe speech and language impairments, but few studies have investigated the effect of the tumour on...
PURPOSE
Posterior fossa tumour surgery in children entails a high risk for severe speech and language impairments, but few studies have investigated the effect of the tumour on language prior to surgery. The current crosslinguistic study addresses this gap. We investigated the prevalence of preoperative word-finding difficulties, examined associations with medical and demographic characteristics, and analysed lexical errors.
METHODS
We included 148 children aged 5-17 years with a posterior fossa tumour. Word-finding ability was assessed by means of a picture-naming test, Wordrace, and difficulties in accuracy and speed were identified by cut-off values. A norm-based subanalysis evaluated performance in a Swedish subsample. We compared the demographic and medical characteristics of children with slow, inaccurate, or combined slow and inaccurate word finding to the characteristics of children without word-finding difficulties and conducted a lexical error analysis.
RESULTS
Thirty-seven percent (n = 55) presented with slow word finding, 24% (n = 35) with inaccurate word finding, and 16% (n = 23) with both slow and inaccurate word finding. Children with posterior fossa tumours were twice as slow as children in the norming sample. Right-hemisphere and brainstem location posed a higher risk for preoperative word-finding difficulties, relative to left-hemisphere location, and difficulties were more prevalent in boys than in girls. The most frequent errors were lack of response and semantically related sideordinated words.
CONCLUSION
Word-finding difficulties are frequent in children with posterior fossa tumours, especially in boys and in children with right-hemisphere and brainstem tumours. Errors resemble those observed in typical development and children with word-finding difficulties.
Topics: Child; Male; Female; Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Infratentorial Neoplasms; Language; Brain Neoplasms
PubMed: 37682305
DOI: 10.1007/s00381-023-06119-4 -
Cureus Jan 2024Osmotic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system has two variants: central pontine myelinolysis and extra-pontine myelinolysis (EPM). Up to 10% of cases of...
Osmotic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system has two variants: central pontine myelinolysis and extra-pontine myelinolysis (EPM). Up to 10% of cases of osmotic demyelination syndrome are associated with EPM, which mostly affects the thalamus and basal ganglia. It is commonly associated with the rapid correction of hyponatremia. An elderly woman in her 60s presented with complaints of acute gastroenteritis and giddiness and visited the emergency ward. On examination, she was conscious and oriented to time but disoriented to place and person and had slurring of speech with signs of dehydration. Her serum sodium levels were 100 meq/L, and her brain MRI was normal. After shifting her to the intensive care unit, she was treated with 200 ml of 3% NaCl bolus to correct her hyponatremia. On day three, she began developing rigidity in both lower limbs, which progressed to the upper limbs with hyperreflexia and mutism. A brain MRI was done, which showed subtle hyperintensities in the caudate lobe with no other new findings. Her serum aldosterone and cortisol were on the lower side of the normal range. Treatment of tablet levodopa-carbidopa (100/25) combination thrice a day (TDS) led to an improvement in her health condition.
PubMed: 38384610
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52707