Neurological examination of the infant

Primitive reflexes and dementia in older adults: a meta-analysis of observational and cohort studies

Primitive reflexes (PRs) are clinical signs that indicate diffuse cerebral dysfunction and frontal lesions. We aimed to present a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence and risk of PRs in patients with dementia. English-language articles published from January 1990 to April 2021 were searched in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Web of Science with keywords. The titles and abstracts of the identified articles were screened to identify potentially relevant papers. Odds ratios and risk ratios were extracted with 95% confidence intervals and combined using the random-effects model after logarithmic transformation. The prevalence in dementia patients was also combined using the random-effects model. This meta-analysis involved 29 studies. The snout reflex (48% of cases) was the most prevalent. It was found that the risk of PRs in individuals with dementia was significantly elevated, ranging from 13.94 to 16.38 times higher than in healthy controls. The grasp reflex exhibited the highest risk for dementia. This meta-analysis showed that the prevalence and the risk of PRs is high in older patients with dementia. Therefore, PRs, especially the grasp reflex, should be carefully assessed as a part of routine physical examination in the diagnostic process for dementia.

Neonatal Assessment: Put Your Best Foot Forward

BACKGROUND

Assessment of the foot is an essential part of the newborn examination. Foot abnormalities range from an isolated deformity due to intrauterine positioning to a functional impairment due to a structural malformation. The purpose of this article is to review assessment, abnormal findings, and current treatment options of common foot deformities.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A review of literature was conducted using keywords in PubMed, Google Scholar, and CINAHL databases from 2018 to 2023.

RESULTS

Although assessment techniques for the neonatal foot remain the same, recent nonsurgical treatment options are available for a variety of neonatal foot deformities. Early recognition allows for proper evaluation of foot deformities and corrective measures.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Neonatal providers equipped with knowledge of common foot problems can provide support and anticipatory guidance to families.

The Key Aspects of Neonatal and Infant Neurological Examination: The Ballard Score, the Infant's Head with Hydrocephalus and Assessment in a Clinical Setting

The physical examination of the newborn is essential in diagnosing neurological or neurosurgical conditions in the newborn. This article focuses on three clinical assessments of newborns and infants that are especially important if neurological problems are suspected: The Ballard score, the examination of the head in a baby with (suspected) hydrocephalus, and the neurological and developmental evaluation of an infant in an ambulatory setting. A textual description and a link to a video describe each assessment.

Liquid Biopsy in Adverse Neurodevelopment of Children: Problems and Prospects

Neurodevelopmental disorders in children have an important impact on the quality of life in the whole life cycle. Severe neurodevelopmental disorders will become a serious social and family burden and an important social and economic problem. The early and middle childhood is the critical period of children's neurodevelopment. Early diagnosis of neurological disorders plays an important role in guiding children's neurological development. Existing monitoring tools lack prenatal and even early assessment of children's neurodevelopment, so reliable biomarkers are conducive to personalized care at an earlier stage. In this review, we will discuss different methods of neurodevelopmental monitoring at different times and the role and evaluation of liquid biopsy in neurodevelopmental monitoring.

Remote ischaemic conditioning in necrotising enterocolitis: a phase I feasibility and safety study

OBJECTIVE

Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC) improves the outcome of experimental necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) by preserving intestinal microcirculation. The feasibility and safety of RIC in preterm infants with NEC are unknown. The study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of RIC in preterm infants with suspected or confirmed NEC.

DESIGN

Phase I non-randomised pilot study conducted in three steps: step A to determine the safe duration of limb ischaemia (up to 4 min); step B to assess the safety of 4 repeated cycles of ischaemia-reperfusion at the maximum tolerated duration of ischaemia determined in step A; step C to assess the safety of applying 4 cycles of ischaemia-reperfusion on two consecutive days.

SETTING

Level III neonatal intensive care unit, The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada).

PATIENTS

Fifteen preterm infants born between 22 and 33 weeks gestational age.

INTERVENTION

Four cycles of ischaemia (varying duration) applied to the limb via a manual sphygmomanometer, followed by reperfusion (4 min) and rest (5 min), repeated on two consecutive days.

OUTCOMES

The primary outcomes were (1) feasibility defined as RIC being performed as planned in the protocol, and (2) safety defined as perfusion returning to baseline within 4 min after cuff deflation.

RESULTS

Four cycles/day of limb ischaemia (4 min) followed by reperfusion (4 min) and a 5 min gap, repeated on two consecutive days was feasible and safe in all neonates with suspected or confirmed NEC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is pivotal for designing a future randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of RIC in preterm infants with NEC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03860701.

Early diagnostics of motor disorders in children: an interdisciplinary approach

Assessment of motor development is an important part of the study of the neuropsychic development of children, which is carried out by a pediatrician during preventive examinations. To identify the causes of motor disorders, in addition to studying the anamnesis, it is necessary to conduct a physical examination of the child with the appointment of additional research methods. It is important to remember that developmental delay does not always indicate the presence of any disease but requires dynamic monitoring. However, if they progress, then these patients are more likely to be diagnosed with specific neuromuscular disorders. In this case, the pediatrician should pay attention to the neurological status of the child, assess visual acuity and hearing. At the same time, one should not forget that motor disorders are often combined with a general developmental delay (mental retardation) of the child. Fasciculation of the tongue, loss of motor skills, organomegaly, coarsening of facial features, increased levels of creatine phosphokinase (more than 3 times higher than normal), respiratory failure, in the presence of general weakness, a sharp deterioration in the child’s condition, accompanied by lethargy, vomiting, development of convulsive syndrome, disorders detected on MRI of the brain, are alarming symptoms that require urgent intervention by specialists (neurologist, genetics). Also, some hereditary (chromosomal and monogenic) diseases are often combined with the development of motor disorders. The best results are achieved if the early diagnosis of diseases accompanied by movement disorders is carried out using an interdisciplinary approach. 

Effects of Family Participatory Nursing on Clinical Outcomes of Premature Infants in NICU and Families’ Psychological Status

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of family participatory nursing on the clinical outcomes of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and their families’ psychological status. Total of 150 premature infants were admitted to the NICU of our hospital from December 2019 to December 2021, and their families were selected by convenience sampling method and divided into control group (n = 78, from December 2019 to December 2020) and observation group (n = 72, from January 2020 to December 2021) according to the admission time. The infants in the control group were given routine nursing, while those in the observation group received family participatory nursing. In the observation group, the length of stay and duration of oxygen therapy were shorter, the weight gain speed was higher, and the incidence rate of nosocomial infection was lower than those in control groups $\left(P<0.05\right)$ . The time of reaching full gastrointestinal feeding was earlier, the daily milk intake and exclusive breastfeeding rate were higher, and the feeding intolerance rate was lower in observation group than those in control group $\left(P<0.05\right)$ . Observation group exhibited significantly higher body weight, Z-value of body weight, NBNA score at 7 d after hospitalization, 15-month mental development index (MDI), and psychomotor development index (PDI) scores than control group $\left(P<0.05\right)$ . In addition, the families’ somatization, depression and anxiety factor scores, and total score of SCL-90 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while each dimension score and total score of MPOC-20 were higher than those in control groups $\left(P<0.05\right)$ . Family participatory nursing is of great significance in ameliorating the clinical outcomes of premature infants in the NICU, which can shorten the length of stay, improve feeding conditions, facilitate infant growth and development, and enhance their families’ psychological status and nursing satisfaction.

Impact of umbilical cord arterial pH, gestational age, and birth weight on neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm neonates

Background

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of umbilical cord arterial pH, gestational age, and birth weight on neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm neonates.

Methods

We examined 112 neonates. Inclusion criteria were: Saturations greater than 88%, and heart rates between 100–205 beats per minute.

Measurements

We assessed several neurodevelopmental factors as part of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), 4th edition, such as asymmetric tonic neck reflex (ATNR), motor maturity, response to sensory stimuli, habituation, and state regulation. Initial assessment parameters such as APGAR score and umbilical cord arterial pH were used to assess neonates.

Results

We found a strong correlation between the presence of the sucking reflex and umbilical cord arterial pH (r = 0.32; p = 0.018981). Umbilical cord arterial pH was also correlated with the presence of asymmetric tonic neck reflex (r = 0.27; p = 0.047124), cost of attention (r = 0.31; p = 0.025381) and general motor maturity (r = 0.34; p = 0.011741).

Conclusions

We found that the sucking reflex may be affected in infants with low umbilical cord arterial pH values. Practitioners and parents can use the NBAS to help determine neurodevelopmental factors and outcomes in preterm infants, possibly leading to safer and more effective feeding practices and interventions.

Discriminant Performance of Dysexecutive and Frontal Release Signs for Delirium in Patients With High Dementia Prevalence: Implications for Neural Network Impairment

BACKGROUND

Prevalence of signs of abnormal executive function (EF) and primitive reflexes (PR) with delirium in older hospitalized patients with or without comorbid dementia has not been reported.

OBJECTIVE

To describe prevalence of signs of EF deficits and PR in older inpatients and their discriminant value for delirium while accounting for dementia.

METHODS

Participants were evaluated for delirium using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition and the Delirium Rating Scale Revised-98, dementia using Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, and signs of PR (n = 5) and EF deficits (n = 3) using bedside neuropsychiatric examination. Three indices (PR, EF, and Combined) and 4 diagnostic groups were created for correlational and discriminant analyses.

RESULTS

Correlations of indices were higher with the Delirium Rating Scale Revised-98 than with the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly and even higher in those with dementia, especially the Combined index (Delirium Frontal Index). Among individual signs, glabellar and Simple Luria Hand Sequence were most common in delirium and the best for delirium discrimination irrespective of dementia status. The Combined index had about 80% sensitivity and specificity at the ≥2 cutoff in the whole cohort (positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios: PPV 50.0%, NPV 93.8%, +LR 3.82, -LR 0.25). The Combined index also had the best performance on discriminating delirium in dementia patients at the ≥3 cutoff, with about 80% for both sensitivity and specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

PR and EF deficit signs are consistent with reduced neural network integration during delirium, even worse in those with dementia whose baseline structural injury impairs network connectivity with frontal regions. We recommend simple bedside assessment of PR and EF signs to help assess for delirium as an indicator of cerebral cortical neural network impairment in older persons.

Interrater reliability in pupillary assessment among intensive care nurses

BACKGROUND

Pupillary abnormalities are a common and reliable finding of brain herniation, ischaemia, and acute brain injury in critically ill patients. Reliable pupil assessment is a vital evaluation in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for neurocritical patients.

AIM

To evaluate inter-rater reliability of pupillary assessment among intensive care.

METHODS

In this prospective, blind observational study, intensive care nurses and two researchers evaluated the pupil size, reactivity and symmetry of 200 patients with neurosurgery or neurological diseases. A total of 200 pupillary measurement sets were completed independently and blindly.

RESULTS

Three observers -two researchers and the nurse- found fair-to-good and excellent agreements in initial pupil size evaluations of right and left pupils, respectively (ICC = 0.70, 95%; ICC = 0.75, 95%). In patients with pupil size ≥4 mm, the observers found fair-to-good agreements in both right and left pupil initial size measurements (ICC = 0.52; ICC = 0.65). Agreement in pupil symmetry was moderated (K = 0.58), and reactivity was near perfect (K = 0.89) between the three observers.

CONCLUSION

Although the two researchers found near perfect agreement in pupil size, symmetry and reactivity assessment, two researchers and the nurse found moderate agreement in pupil symmetry and fair-to-good agreement in pre- and post-light stimulation pupil size.