Memory dysfunction in school-aged children exposed prenatally to antiepileptic drugs.

Objective: Prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and in particular valproate (VPA) has been shown to impair intellectual and language development in children, but the impact on memory functioning has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate memory skills in school-age children who were exposed to AEDs prenatally.

Method: The sample comprised of 105 children aged 6 to 8 years.

Prospective assessment of autism traits in children exposed to antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy.

Purpose: The association between autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and prenatal anticonvulsant exposure is increasingly investigated, but comprehensive, blinded assessment using a validated instrument for autism within a well-characterized prospective cohort has not been conducted. Thus, existing studies may represent an underestimate of the true risk. Herein we present a prospective cohort study in children exposed to anticonvulsants during pregnancy, with all assessments conducted by examiners who were blinded to drug-exposure status.

Altered cortical thickness following prenatal sodium valproate exposure.

Prenatal exposure to sodium valproate (VPA) is associated with neurodevelopmental impairments. Cortical thickness was measured in 16 children exposed prenatally to VPA and 16 controls. We found increased left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; BA45) and left pericalcarine sulcus (BA18) thickness, an association between VPA dose and right IFG thickness, and a close relationship between verbal skills and left IFG thickness.

Neurological consequences of diabetic ketoacidosis at initial presentation of type 1 diabetes in a prospective cohort study of children.

Objective: To investigate the impact of new-onset diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) during childhood on brain morphology and function.

Research Design And Methods: Patients aged 6-18 years with and without DKA at diagnosis were studied at four time points: <48 h, 5 days, 28 days, and 6 months postdiagnosis. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy with cognitive assessment at each time point.

Clinical utility of mental state screening as a predictor of intellectual outcomes 6 months after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

Background: Screening tests of basic cognitive status or 'mental state' have been shown to predict mortality and functional outcomes in adults. This study examined the relationship between mental state and outcomes in children with type 1 diabetes.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether mental state at diagnosis predicts longer term cognitive function of children with a new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

Neurobehavioral consequences of prenatal antiepileptic drug exposure.

Despite elevated rates of birth defects associated with prenatal antiepileptic drug exposure, pharmacotherapy is typically continued throughout pregnancy because of the risks posed to mother and child by recurrent seizures. Emerging data suggest that prenatal exposure to valproate or polytherapy may also be associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. However, our understanding of the longer-term sequelae of prenatal antiepileptic drug exposure remains incomplete.

The Australian brain and cognition and antiepileptic drugs study: IQ in school-aged children exposed to sodium valproate and polytherapy.

Prenatal exposure to sodium valproate (VPA) and polytherapy has been linked with increased risk of birth defects and cognitive impairment in young children. We evaluated the cognitive impact of prenatal exposure to VPA and polytherapy in school-aged children. Fifty-seven children exposed to VPA (n = 23), polytherapy with VPA (n = 15), or polytherapy without VPA (n = 19) were assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Fourth Edition.

Executive function outcomes following traumatic brain injury in young children: a five year follow-up.

Little is known about the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in very young children. This study used a prospective, cross-sectional design to investigate the impact of TBI on executive function (EF) outcomes in children who sustained a TBI before the age of seven. The study aimed to identify specific or global EF deficits five years post-TBI, and to explore factors that predicted outcomes.