Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Associated with COVID-19 Infection in a 5-Year-Old Boy

Background:Neurologic manifestations can occur in many adult patients with COVID-19 but are less frequently described in the literature than the respiratory or inflammatory effects of the disease. There are even fewer reports of the neurologic manifestations of the disease in children. Case Report: A 5-year-old boy with type 1 diabetes mellitus had minimal symptoms from COVID-19 infection. Eight days later, he developed acute ataxia, double vision, tremor, and dysmetria. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and imaging were unremarkable. He was treated with supportive care and discharged home after 4 days. Neurologic symptoms gradually improved and resolved at 2 month follow up. Conclusion: Providers should be aware of acute cerebellar ataxia as a possible complication in pediatric patients recovering from COVID-19.

Neurological Complications of Nutritional Disease

Vitamins and minerals have essential functions in the body, from signal transduction to acting as cofactors for numerous enzymatic processes. Nutritional deficiencies and excess of certain vitamins and minerals can have profound effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems from early development into adulthood. This article summarizes the role of various nutritional factors in the nervous system and the neurological symptoms that can arise from deficiency or excess.