Australian Clinical Consensus Guideline: The diagnosis and acute management of childhood stroke

Stroke is among the top 10 causes of death in children and survivors carry resulting disabilities for decades, at substantial cost to themselves and their families. Children are not currently able to access reperfusion therapies, due to limited evidence supporting safety and efficacy and long diagnostic delays. The Australian Clinical Consensus Guideline for the Diagnosis and Acute Management of Childhood Stroke was developed to minimize unwarranted variations in care and document best evidence on the risk factors, etiologies, and conditions mimicking stroke that differ from adults. Clinical questions were formulated to inform systematic database searches from 2007 to 2017, limited to English and pediatric studies. SIGN methodology and the National Health and Medical Research Council system were used to screen and classify the evidence. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system (GRADE) was used to grade evidence as strong or weak. The Guideline provides more than 60 evidence-based recommendations to assist prehospital and acute care clinicians in the rapid identification of childhood stroke, choice of initial investigation, to confirm diagnosis, determine etiology, selection of the most appropriate interventions to salvage brain at risk, and prevent recurrence. Recommendations include advice regarding the management of intracranial pressure and congenital heart disease. Implementation of the Guideline will require reorganization of prehospital and emergency care systems, including the development of regional stroke networks, pediatric Code Stroke, rapid magnetic resonance imaging and accreditation of primary pediatric stroke centers with the capacity to offer reperfusion therapies. The Guideline will allow auditing to benchmark timelines of care, access to acute interventions, and outcomes. It will also facilitate the development of an Australian childhood stroke registry, with data linkage to international registries, to allow for accurate data collection on stroke incidence, treatment, and outcomes.

Diagnosing cerebral palsy in full-term infants

More than 50% of infants with cerebral palsy (CP) are born at or near term, with the vast majority having pre- or perinatally acquired CP. While some have a clinical history predictive of CP, such as neonatal encephalopathy or neonatal stroke, others have no readily identifiable risk factors. Paediatricians are often required to discriminate generalised motor delay from a variety of other diagnoses, including CP. This paper outlines known causal pathways to CP in term-born infants with a focus on differential diagnosis. Early and accurate diagnosis is important as it allows prompt access to early intervention during the critical periods of brain development. A combination of clinical history taking, standard clinical examination, neuroimaging and genetic testing should be started at the time of referral. Attention to the investigation of common comorbidities of CP, including feeding and sleep difficulties, and referral to early intervention are recommended.

Resolution of fetal second-degree atrioventricular block

Fetal atrioventricular (AV) block is a rare and potentially devastating condition. Most commonly fetal AV block is mediated by maternal lupus antibodies which cause irreversible damage to the AV node. For many fetuses, the only potential intervention is premature delivery and highly invasive pacemaker implantation. However, there exists a small subset of fetuses with non-immune mediated AV block who appear to have far better outcomes, with potential for spontaneous resolution and a return to sinus rhythm. Despite this, it is not clear that prenatal counseling takes this fact into account. We describe a series of three patients with non-immune fetal second-degree AV block with spontaneous resolution prior to delivery, underscoring the need for appropriate prenatal counseling in this scenario.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome neurodevelopmental follow-up study (neurodevelopmental outcomes for children whose twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome was treated with placental laser photocoagulation)

Background

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a serious complication of 10–15% of twin or triplet pregnancies in which multiple fetuses share a single placenta. Communicating placental vessels allow one fetus (the donor) to pump blood to the other (the recipient). Mortality rates without intervention are high, approaching 100% in some series, with fetal deaths usually due to cardiac failure. Surgical correction using laser photocoagulation of communicating placental vessels was developed in the 1980s and refined in the 1990s. Since it was introduced in Victoria in 2006, laser surgery has been performed in approximately 120 pregnancies.

Survival of one or more fetuses following laser surgery is currently > 90%, however the neurodevelopmental outcomes for survivors remain incompletely understood. Prior to laser therapy, at least one in five survivors of TTTS had serious adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes (usually cerebral palsy). Current estimates of neurological impairment among survivors following laser surgery vary from 4 to 31% and long-term follow-up data are limited.

Methods

This paper describes the methodology for a retrospective cohort study in which children aged 24 months and over (corrected for prematurity), who were treated with laser placental photocoagulation for TTTS at Monash Health in Victoria, Australia, will undergo comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment by a multidisciplinary team. Evaluation will include parental completion of pre-assessment questionnaires of social and behavioural development, a standardised medical assessment by a developmental paediatrician or paediatric neurologist, and age-appropriate cognitive and academic, speech and fine and gross motor assessments by psychologists, speech and occupational therapists or physiotherapists. Assessments will be undertaken at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute/Royal Children’s Hospital, at Monash Health or at another mutually agreed location. Results will be recorded in a secure online database which will facilitate future related research.

Discussion

This will be the first study to report and evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes following laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in Victoria, and will inform clinical practice regarding follow-up of children at risk of adverse outcomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12887-018-1230-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Onabotulinum toxin-A (Botox) for spastic equinus in cerebral palsy: a prospective kinematic study

PURPOSE

Botulinum toxin-A (or Botox) is widely used for the management of equinus gait in children with cerebral palsy but few recent studies have included instrumented gait analysis.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study. Gait analysis was performed four weeks before and four weeks after Botulinum toxin-A injection for spastic equinus to detect the maximum effects on gait kinematics. Outcome measures included the Gait Profile Score (GPS), the Gait Variable Score (GVS) for the ankle, maximal ankle dorsiflexion and maximal knee extension at midstance.

RESULTS

In all, 37 children participated (20 boys); mean age five years seven months (4 years 1 month to 8 years 2 months); 19 with unilateral and 18 bilateral involvement. At a mean four weeks post-injection, the GPS and ankle GVS were unchanged. However maximum ankle dorsiflexion increased for the whole group; median 7.7° (confidence interval (CI) 4° to 10.6°) to 11.5° (CI 7.7° to 12.9°), p = 0.02. Maximum midstance knee extension was unchanged for the whole group, but median knee flexion increased in children with bilateral involvement; 10.9° (CI 7.4° to 20.8°) to 16.5° (CI 8.4° to 19.7°), p = 0.58.

CONCLUSION

Injections of the gastrocsoleus for spastic equinus did not result in objective improvements in overall gait. Improvements in ankle dorsiflexion for children with bilateral involvement may be offset by deterioration at the knee.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II - prospective cohort study, before and after intervention.

Systematic review of high-level mobility training in people with a neurological impairment

AIM

The objective of this paper was to systematically review the efficacy of interventions targeting high-level mobility skills in people with a neurological impairment.

METHODS

A comprehensive electronic database search was conducted. Study designs were graded using the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) system and methodological quality was described using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale.

RESULTS

Twelve exploratory studies (AACPDM levels IV/V), of limited methodological quality (PEDro scores of 2-3 out of 10), were included. Interventions included treadmill training, a three-phase programme, a high-level mobility group, plyometric training, running technique coaching and walk training with blood flow restriction. Diagnoses included acquired brain injury, cerebral palsy, incomplete spinal cord injury and neurofibromatosis type 1. There were difficulties generalizing results from exploratory designs with a broad range of participants, interventions and outcome measures. However, it seems that people with a neurological impairment have the capacity to improve high-level mobility skills, running speed and distance with intervention. There were no adverse events that limited participation.

CONCLUSION

There is preliminary evidence to support the efficacy of interventions to improve high-level mobility skills in people with neurological impairments. Well-controlled research with a larger sample is required to provide sufficient evidence to change clinical practice.

Early, Accurate Diagnosis and Early Intervention in Cerebral Palsy: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment

IMPORTANCE

Cerebral palsy describes the most common physical disability in childhood and occurs in 1 in 500 live births. Historically, the diagnosis has been made between age 12 and 24 months but now can be made before 6 months' corrected age.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review best available evidence for early, accurate diagnosis of cerebral palsy and to summarize best available evidence about cerebral palsy-specific early intervention that should follow early diagnosis to optimize neuroplasticity and function.

EVIDENCE REVIEW

This study systematically searched the literature about early diagnosis of cerebral palsy in MEDLINE (1956-2016), EMBASE (1980-2016), CINAHL (1983-2016), and the Cochrane Library (1988-2016) and by hand searching. Search terms included cerebral palsy, diagnosis, detection, prediction, identification, predictive validity, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The study included systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses, criteria of diagnostic accuracy, and evidence-based clinical guidelines. Findings are reported according to the PRISMA statement, and recommendations are reported according to the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument.

FINDINGS

Six systematic reviews and 2 evidence-based clinical guidelines met inclusion criteria. All included articles had high methodological Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) ratings. In infants, clinical signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy emerge and evolve before age 2 years; therefore, a combination of standardized tools should be used to predict risk in conjunction with clinical history. Before 5 months' corrected age, the most predictive tools for detecting risk are term-age magnetic resonance imaging (86%-89% sensitivity), the Prechtl Qualitative Assessment of General Movements (98% sensitivity), and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (90% sensitivity). After 5 months' corrected age, the most predictive tools for detecting risk are magnetic resonance imaging (86%-89% sensitivity) (where safe and feasible), the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (90% sensitivity), and the Developmental Assessment of Young Children (83% C index). Topography and severity of cerebral palsy are more difficult to ascertain in infancy, and magnetic resonance imaging and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination may be helpful in assisting clinical decisions. In high-income countries, 2 in 3 individuals with cerebral palsy will walk, 3 in 4 will talk, and 1 in 2 will have normal intelligence.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Early diagnosis begins with a medical history and involves using neuroimaging, standardized neurological, and standardized motor assessments that indicate congruent abnormal findings indicative of cerebral palsy. Clinicians should understand the importance of prompt referral to diagnostic-specific early intervention to optimize infant motor and cognitive plasticity, prevent secondary complications, and enhance caregiver well-being.

Ganaxolone: A New Treatment for Neonatal Seizures

Neonatal seizures are amongst the most common neurologic conditions managed by a neonatal care service. Seizures can exacerbate existing brain injury, induce “de novo” injury, and are associated with neurodevelopmental disabilities in post-neonatal life. In this mini-review, we present evidence in support of the use of ganaxolone, a GABA^A agonist neurosteroid, as a novel neonatal therapy. We discuss evidence that ganaxolone can provide both seizure control and neuroprotection with a high safety profile when administered early following birth-related hypoxia, and show evidence that it is likely to prevent or reduce the incidence of the enduring disabilities associated with preterm birth, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. We suggest that ganaxolone is an ideal anti-seizure treatment because it can be safely used prospectively, with minimal or no adverse effects on the neonatal brain.

Diagnostic and cost utility of whole exome sequencing in peripheral neuropathy

Objective

To explore the diagnostic utility and cost effectiveness of whole exome sequencing (WES) in a cohort of individuals with peripheral neuropathy.

Methods

Singleton WES was performed in individuals recruited though one pediatric and one adult tertiary center between February 2014 and December 2015. Initial analysis was restricted to a virtual panel of 55 genes associated with peripheral neuropathies. Patients with uninformative results underwent expanded analysis of the WES data. Data on the cost of prior investigations and assessments performed for diagnostic purposes in each patient was collected.

Results

Fifty patients with a peripheral neuropathy were recruited (median age 18 years; range 2–68 years). The median time from initial presentation to study enrollment was 6 years 9 months (range 2 months–62 years), and the average cost of prior investigations and assessments for diagnostic purposes AU$4013 per patient. Eleven individuals received a diagnosis from the virtual panel. Eight individuals received a diagnosis following expanded analysis of the WES data, increasing the overall diagnostic yield to 38%. Two additional individuals were diagnosed with pathogenic copy number variants through SNP microarray.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that WES has a high diagnostic utility and is cost effective in patients with a peripheral neuropathy. Expanded analysis of WES data significantly improves the diagnostic yield in patients in whom a diagnosis is not found on the initial targeted analysis. This is primarily due to diagnosis of conditions caused by newly discovered genes and the resolution of complex and atypical phenotypes.

Seizures in Children With Cerebral Palsy and White Matter Injury

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to describe the prevalence, syndromes, and evolution of seizure disorders in children with cerebral palsy (CP) due to white matter injury (WMI).

METHODS

For this population-based cohort study, brain MRI scans and medical records were reviewed in children in the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register born between 1999 and 2006 recorded as having WMI. Children were excluded if they had features of an undiagnosed syndrome, associated cortical malformation or injury, or no medical contact in the preceding year. Included were 166 children with CP and isolated WMI due to presumed vascular insufficiency or hemorrhage; 87 were born preterm. Seizure and CP details were obtained from medical records and interviews, and EEG recordings were reviewed.

RESULTS

Forty-one children (25%) had seizures beyond the neonatal period. Four children had West syndrome, which resolved with treatment. Thirteen children had febrile seizures that they outgrew. Thirty children had focal epilepsy with seizure manifestations and EEG discharges typical of early-onset childhood occipital epilepsy or childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes; 23 have outgrown these seizures. Two children had idiopathic generalized epilepsy; it was ongoing in 1 child. Fourteen children had evolution from 1 epileptic syndrome to another. At last follow-up (median age, 12.7 years; minimum age, 9.7 years), 80% had not had a seizure for >2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The electroclinical features of seizure disorders associated with CP and WMI are those of the age-limited, epileptic syndromes of childhood, with favorable outcome in the majority. The findings have important implications for counseling and drug treatment.

Pharmacological treatments for Friedreich ataxia

BACKGROUND

Friedreich ataxia is a rare inherited autosomal recessive neurological disorder, characterised initially by unsteadiness in standing and walking, slowly progressing to wheelchair dependency usually in the late teens or early twenties. It is associated with slurred speech, scoliosis, and pes cavus. Heart abnormalities cause premature death in 60% of people with the disorder. There is no easily defined clinical or biochemical marker and no known treatment. This is the second update of a review first published in 2009 and previously updated in 2012.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of pharmacological treatments for Friedreich ataxia.

SEARCH METHODS

On 29 February 2016 we searched The Cochrane Neuromuscular Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL Plus. On 7 March 2016 we searched ORPHANET and TRIP. We also checked clinical trials registers for ongoing studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of pharmacological treatments (including vitamins) in people with genetically-confirmed Friedreich ataxia. The primary outcome was change in a validated Friedreich ataxia neurological score after 12 months. Secondary outcomes were changes in cardiac status as measured by magnetic resonance imaging or echocardiography, quality of life, mild and serious adverse events, and survival. We excluded trials of duration shorter than 12 months.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Three review authors selected trials and two review authors extracted data. We obtained missing data from the two RCTs that met our inclusion criteria. We collected adverse event data from included studies. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified more than 12 studies that used antioxidants in the treatment of Friedreich ataxia, but only two small RCTs, with a combined total of 72 participants, both fulfilled the selection criteria for this review and published results. One of these trials compared idebenone with placebo, the other compared high-dose versus low-dose coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E (the trialists considered the low-dose medication to be the placebo). We identified two other completed RCTs, which remain unpublished; the interventions in these trials were pioglitazone (40 participants) and idebenone (232 participants). Other RCTs were of insufficient duration for inclusion.In the included studies, the primary outcome specified for the review, change in a validated Friedreich ataxia rating score, was measured using the International Co-operative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). The results did not reveal any significant difference between the antioxidant-treated and the placebo groups (mean difference 0.79 points, 95% confidence interval -1.97 to 3.55 points; low-quality evidence).The published included studies did not assess the first secondary outcome, change in cardiac status as measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Both studies reported changes in cardiac measurements assessed by echocardiogram. The ejection fraction was not measured in the larger of the included studies (44 participants). In the smaller study (28 participants), it was normal at baseline and did not change with treatment. End-diastolic interventricular septal thickness showed a small decrease in the smaller of the two included studies. In the larger included study, there was no decrease, showing significant heterogeneity in the study results; our overall assessment of the quality of evidence for this outcome was very low. Left ventricular mass (LVM) was only available for the smaller RCT, which showed a significant decrease. The relevance of this change is unclear and the quality of evidence low.There were no deaths related to the treatment with antioxidants. We considered the published included studies at low risk of bias in six of seven domains assessed. One unpublished included RCT, a year-long study using idebenone (232 participants), published an interim report in May 2010 stating that the study reached neither its primary endpoint, which was change in the ICARS score, nor a key cardiological secondary endpoint, but data were not available for verification and analysis.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Low-quality evidence from two small, published, randomised controlled trials neither support nor refute an effect from antioxidants (idebenone, or a combination of coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E) on the neurological status of people with Friedreich ataxia, measured with a validated neurological rating scale. A large unpublished study of idebenone that reportedly failed to meet neurological or key cardiological endpoints, and a trial of pioglitazone remain unpublished, but on publication will very likely influence quality assessments and conclusions. A single study of idebenone provided low-quality evidence for a decrease in LVM, which is of uncertain clinical significance but of potential importance that needs to be clarified. According to low-quality evidence, serious and non-serious adverse events were rare in both antioxidant and placebo groups. No non-antioxidant agents have been investigated in RCTs of 12 months' duration.

Injection frequency of botulinum toxin A for spastic equinus: a randomized clinical trial

AIM

We compared two botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection frequency regimens, 12-monthly versus 4-monthly, for spastic equinus in a randomized clinical trial. The primary outcome measure was passive ankle dorsiflexion.

METHOD

Forty-two ambulant children with spastic equinus, secondary to cerebral palsy (23 males and 19 females; mean age 3y 6mo, SD 13mo; GMFCS levels I [n=20], II [n=19], III [n=3]) were randomized to receive either 12-monthly or 4-monthly BoNT-A injections to the calf, over a 26-month period. Twenty-one children had spastic hemiplegia, 21 children had spastic diplegia. A fixed 6U/kg dose of Botox was injected into the gastrocnemius muscle of both limbs in children with diplegia and the gastrocsoleus of the affected limb in children with hemiplegia, under mask anaesthesia.

RESULTS

Forty-two children entered the trial with 21 participants randomized to each group. There were three withdrawals and two children received serial casting midway through the trial. There was no significant difference in passive dorsiflexion between 12-monthly and 4-monthly regimens (p=0.41). There were also no significant between group differences on secondary outcome measures. There were no serious adverse events - the rate was 1.2 adverse events per child per year in the 12-monthly group and 2.2 adverse events per child per year in the 4-monthly group. Subgroup analysis revealed a significant difference in passive dorsiflexion between children with hemiplegia and diplegia (p=0.01).

INTERPRETATION

There was no significant difference between 12-monthly and 4-monthly injection regimens on passive dorsiflexion or secondary outcome measures. BoNT-A injections for spastic equinus may be recommended on a 12-monthly basis.

Does early communication mediate the relationship between motor ability and social function in children with cerebral palsy?

BACKGROUND

Children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions such as cerebral palsy (CP) are at risk of experiencing restrictions in social activities negatively impacting their subsequent social functioning. Research has identified motor and communication ability as being unique determinants of social function capabilities in children with CP, to date, no research has investigated whether communication is a mediator of the relationship between motor ability and social functioning.

AIMS

To investigate whether early communication ability at 24 months corrected age (ca.) mediates the relationship between early motor ability at 24 months ca. and later social development at 60 months ca. in a cohort of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHOD

A cohort of 71 children (43 male) diagnosed with CP (GMFCS I=24, 33.8%, II=9, 12.7%, III=12, 16.9%, IV=10, 14.1%, V=16, 22.5%) were assessed at 24 and 60 months ca. Assessments included the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), the Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales-Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP) Infant-Toddler Checklist and the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). A mediation model was examined using bootstrapping.

RESULTS

Early communication skills mediated the relationship between early motor abilities and later social functioning, b=0.24 (95% CI=0.08-0.43 and the mediation model was significant, F (2, 68)=32.77, p<0.001, R(2)=0.49.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATION

Early communication ability partially mediates the relationship between early motor ability and later social function in children with CP. This demonstrates the important role of early communication in ongoing social development. Early identification of communication delay and enriched language exposure is crucial in this population.

Concise Review: Stem Cell Interventions for People With Cerebral Palsy: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

: Evidence for stem cells as a potential intervention for cerebral palsy is emerging. Our objective was to determine the efficacy and safety of stem cells for improving motor and cognitive function of people with cerebral palsy. Searches were conducted in October 2015 in CENTRAL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Libraries. Randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials of stem cells for cerebral palsy were included. Two authors independently decided upon included trials, extracted data, quality, and risk of bias. The primary outcome was gross motor function. Secondary outcomes were cognitive function and adverse events (AEs). Effects were expressed as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), using a random-effects model. Five trials comprising 328 participants met inclusion criteria. Four cell types were studied: olfactory ensheathing, neural, neural progenitors, and allogeneic umbilical cord blood (UCBs). Transplantation procedures differed from central nervous system neurosurgical transplantation to intravenous/arterial infusion. Participants were followed short-term for only 6 months. Evidence of variable quality indicated a small statistically significant intervention effect from stem cells on gross motor skills (SMD 1.27; 95% CI 0.22, 2.33), with UCBs most effective. There were insufficient and heterogeneous data to compare cognitive effects. Serious AEs were rare (n = 4/135 [3%] stem cells; n = 3/139 [2%] controls). Stem cells appeared to induce short-term improvements in motor skills. Different types of stem cell interventions were compared, meaning the data were heterogeneous and are a study limitation. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted, using rigorous methodologies.

SIGNIFICANCE

Stem cells are emerging as a scientifically plausible treatment and possible cure for cerebral palsy, but are not yet proven. The lack of valid animal models has significantly hampered the scope of clinical trials. Despite the state of current treatment evidence, parents remain optimistic about the potential improvements from stem cell intervention and feel compelled to exhaust all therapeutic options, including stem cell tourism. Receiving unproven therapies from unvalidated sources is potentially dangerous. Thus it is essential that researchers and clinicians stay up to date. A systematic review and meta-analysis summarizing and aggregating current research data may provide more conclusive evidence to inform treatment decision making and help direct future research.

A Comparison of the Birth Characteristics of Idiopathic Toe Walking and Toe Walking Gait Due to Medical Reasons

OBJECTIVE

To determine and compare the birth history or postnatal complications of idiopathic toe walking (ITW) and toe walking known to be associated with a medical condition.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective chart review of parent-reported birth histories of children who presented to a dedicated toe-walking clinic between 2010 and 2014. This cohort comprised children diagnosed with ITW and children with a medical reason for their toe-walking gait. Data were compared with Australian Perinatal statistical normative data.

RESULTS

Ninety-five children (60 males, 63%) were diagnosed with ITW, with a mean (SD) age of 5.8 (2.9) years. Children with an ITW gait were found to have greater rates of prematurity (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.43-4.03), greater rates of admission to a special care nursery or neonatal intensive care unit (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.23-3.18), and lower birth weights (OR 6.6; 95% CI 3.48-12.5) than the normative population. Children with a medical reason for toe walking (n = 28, 68% males) also had greater rates of prematurity (OR 2.4; 95% CI 0.94-6.09) than the normative population and more instrumented births than the ITW cohort (OR 1.56; 95% CI 0.64-3.77). No association was found between assisted-birth intervention and the ITW cohort compared with the normative population or group with a medical cause for toe walking.

CONCLUSIONS

ITW gait was associated with greater rates of complications during and after delivery. Such complications have been associated previously as risk factors for neurologic insult affecting motor development.

Multi-indication Pharmacotherapeutic Multicriteria Decision Analytic Model for the Comparative Formulary Inclusion of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Qatar

PURPOSE

The formulary inclusion of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the government hospital health services in Qatar is not comparative or restricted. Requests to include a PPI in the formulary are typically accepted if evidence of efficacy and tolerability is presented. There are no literature reports of a PPI scoring model that is based on comparatively weighted multiple indications and no reports of PPI selection in Qatar or the Middle East. This study aims to compare first-line use of the PPIs that exist in Qatar. The economic effect of the study recommendations was also quantified.

METHODS

A comparative, evidence-based multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) model was constructed to follow the multiple indications and pharmacotherapeutic criteria of PPIs. Literature and an expert panel informed the selection criteria of PPIs. Input from the relevant local clinician population steered the relative weighting of selection criteria. Comparatively scored PPIs, exceeding a defined score threshold, were recommended for selection.

FINDINGS

Weighted model scores were successfully developed, with 95% CI and 5% margin of error. The model comprised 7 main criteria and 38 subcriteria. Main criteria are indication, dosage frequency, treatment duration, best published evidence, available formulations, drug interactions, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Most weight was achieved for the indications selection criteria. Esomeprazole and rabeprazole were suggested as formulary options, followed by lansoprazole for nonformulary use. The estimated effect of the study recommendations was up to a 15.3% reduction in the annual PPI expenditure. Robustness of study conclusions against variabilities in study inputs was confirmed via sensitivity analyses.

IMPLICATIONS

The implementation of a locally developed PPI-specific comparative MCDA scoring model, which is multiweighted indication and criteria based, into the Qatari formulary selection practices is a successful evidence-based cost-cutting exercise. Esomeprazole and rabeprazole should be the first-line choice from among the PPIs available at the Qatari government hospital health services.

Longitudinal changes in cerebellar and subcortical volumes in adult-onset Niemann-Pick disease type C patients treated with miglustat

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare neurovisceral disorder resulting in impaired intracellular lipid trafficking. The only disease-modifying treatment available to date is miglustat, an iminosugar inhibiting the accumulation of lipid by-products in neurons. This study explored how changes in cerebellar grey and white matter volumes, and in subcortical volumes, related to patient treatment status and disability and ataxia ratings. Nine adult-onset NPC patients and 17 matched controls underwent T1-weighted MRI. One patient was not receiving miglustat, and pre-treatment data were available for a further patient. Semi-automated cerebellar and subcortical segmentation was undertaken, and the rates of change in putamen, hippocampal, thalamic and caudal volumes, and grey and white matter cerebellar volumes, were compared to rates of change in Iturriaga disability score, Brief Ataxia Rating Scale (BARS), and horizontal saccadic gain. Untreated NPC patients appeared to lose cerebellar grey and white matter, bilateral thalamic volume, and right caudate volume faster than treated patients. Cerebellar grey matter volume loss and volume loss in the left thalamus were significantly correlated with Iturriaga disability scale changes. Change in both cerebellar grey and white matter was correlated with decrease in horizontal saccadic gain, but not with change in BARS. This is the first study to examine longitudinal treatment effects of miglustat on cerebellar and subcortical volumes in patients with adult-onset NPC, and is evidence that miglustat may have a protective effect on cerebellar and subcortical structure and function.