Assessment of environmental factors in disabled children 2-12 years: development and reliability of the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) for Children-Parent Version.

Background: Children with disabilities and their families experience environmental barriers in the school and community environments. There is a need to understand and appropriately measure environmental factors that influence activity and participation for disabled children. The purpose of this paper is to describe the adaptation process of the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors (CHIEF) to make it suitable as a parent proxy measure for disabled children aged 2-12 years.

Inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin reduces epileptogenesis and blood-brain barrier leakage but not microglia activation.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown that inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway with rapamycin prevents epileptogenesis after pharmacologically induced status epilepticus (SE) in rat models of temporal lobe epilepsy. Because rapamycin is also known for its immunosuppressant properties we hypothesized that one of the mechanisms by which it exerts this effect could be via suppression of brain inflammation, a process that has been suggested to play a major role in the development and progression of epilepsy.

Methods: Rats were treated with rapamycin or vehicle once daily for 7 days (6 mg/kg/day, i.

Finding a better drug for epilepsy: the mTOR pathway as an antiepileptogenic target.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, and metabolism. Loss-of-function mutations in upstream regulators of mTOR have been highly associated with dysplasias, epilepsy, and neurodevelopmental disorders. These include tuberous sclerosis, which is due to mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 genes; mutations in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) as in Cowden syndrome, polyhydramnios, megalencephaly, symptomatic epilepsy syndrome (PMSE) due to mutations in the STE20-related kinase adaptor alpha (STRADalpha); and neurofibromatosis type 1 attributed to neurofibromin 1 mutations.

Aquatic exercise programs for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: what do we know and where do we go?

Aquatic exercise programs may be a beneficial form of therapy for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), particularly for those with significant movement limitations where land-based physical activity is difficult. The most recently published systematic review (2005) on aquatic interventions in children with CP found supportive but insufficient evidence on its effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to review recently published literature since 2005 with a focus on aquatic exercise for children with CP.

Cerebral expression of drug transporters in epilepsy.

Over-expression of drug efflux transporters at the level of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been proposed as a mechanism responsible for multidrug resistance. Drug transporters in epileptogenic tissue are not only expressed in endothelial cells at the BBB, but also in other brain parenchymal cells, such as astrocytes, microglia and neurons, suggesting a complex cell type-specific regulation under pathological conditions associated with epilepsy. This review focuses on the cerebral expression patterns of several classes of well-known membrane drug transporters such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp), and multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) in the epileptogenic brain.

The 'F-words' in childhood disability: I swear this is how we should think!

The 21st century is witnessing a sea change in our thinking about 'disability'. Nowhere are these developments more apparent than in the field of childhood disability, where traditional biomedical concepts are being incorporated into--but expanded considerably by--new ways of formulating ideas about children, child development, social-ecological forces in the lives of children with chronic conditions and their families, and 'points of entry' for professionals to be helpful. In this paper, we have tried to package a set of ideas, grounded in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (the ICF), into a series of what we have called 'F-words' in child neurodisability--function, family, fitness, fun, friends and future.

Ontogenetic modifications of neuronal excitability during brain maturation: developmental changes of neurotransmitter receptors.

The development of the human brain depends on a precisely orchestrated cascade of events, including proliferation, migration and maturation of neural progenitor cells. Different mechanisms coordinate these stages to reach a normal structural organization, producing appropriate excitatory and inhibitory networks. Here, we will briefly review the developmental changes of glutamate (Glu) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, with particular attention to the development of the human brain.

Participation outcomes for children with acquired brain injury: a narrative review.

Aim: To review the literature on participation outcomes used in children and adolescents with acquired brain injury (ABI) and to synthesize the available evidence on recovery trajectories in participation after ABI.

Method: This study searched electronic databases (Medline, Cinahl, Embase and PsychInfo) from March 2011 back to the earliest available time (1966) using the following terms with brain injury (brain tumours excluded) and children: social or community or school and outcome assessment or participation. Retrieved articles were rated for methodological quality using Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine criteria (CEBM).

Responsiveness of Goal Attainment Scaling in comparison to two standardized measures in outcome evaluation of children with cerebral palsy.

Objectives: To assess the responsiveness of Goal Attainment Scaling compared with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and the 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) in multidisciplinary rehabilitation practice.

Design: Observational study. Pretest-posttest design.

Atorvastatin treatment during epileptogenesis in a rat model for temporal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: It has been shown that blood-brain barrier leakage together with inflammation could contribute to epileptogenesis and seizure progression in a rat model for temporal lobe epilepsy. Because statins have been shown to reduce blood-brain barrier permeability and inflammation in neurological diseases, we aimed to restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier in epileptic rats using atorvastatin. If this drug could restore the blood-brain barrier, a reduction of brain inflammation might be expected, thereby delaying or preventing the development of epilepsy.

Early autism detection: are we ready for routine screening?

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND. Autism is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that has a reportedly rising prevalence rate. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that screening for autism be incorporated into routine practice.

Upregulation of adenosine kinase in astrocytes in experimental and human temporal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: Adenosine kinase (ADK) represents the key metabolic enzyme for the regulation of extracellular adenosine levels in the brain. In adult brain, ADK is primarily present in astrocytes. Several lines of experimental evidence support a critical role of ADK in different types of brain injury associated with astrogliosis, which is also a prominent morphologic feature of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Perceptions of pediatric physical therapists and physical educators on classifying learning styles of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study was to examine professionals' perceptions on classifying learning styles in the context of teaching motor activities to children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). The participants were 21 pediatric physical therapists (PPTs) and seven physical educators (PEs) in three schools for special education in The Netherlands. All participants were introduced to the key descriptions of two existing learning style instruments (Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), applied them to children and adolescents with CP, and reported their perceptions in written surveys.

Complement protein 6 deficiency in PVG/c rats does not lead to neuroprotection against seizure induced cell death.

Since the membrane attack complex (MAC), an end product of the activated complement cascade, has been shown to play a role in neurodegeneration, we investigated to which extent MAC contributes to structural reorganization, neuronal cell death, and seizure development in two rat models for temporal lobe epilepsy. We used the electrically-induced status epilepticus (SE) model and the kindling model in C6-deficient rats (that are unable to form MAC) and wild-type (WT) PVG/c rats. Structural reorganization was investigated using hilar cell counts and mossy fiber sprouting.

Muscle strengthening in children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy: considerations for future resistance training protocols.

Unlabelled: Resistance training of the lower limbs is now commonly used in clinical practice in children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). However, the effectiveness of this type of training is still disputed. The most recently published systematic review with meta-analysis included interventions such as electrical stimulation and resistance training and found insufficient evidence to support or refute the efficacy of these exercises in children with CP.

Development of non-verbal intellectual capacity in school-age children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at greater risk for a limited intellectual development than typically developing children. Little information is available which children with CP are most at risk. This study aimed to describe the development of non-verbal intellectual capacity of school-age children with CP and to examine the association between the development of non-verbal intellectual capacity and the severity of CP.

Idiopathic toe-walking in children, adolescents and young adults: a matter of local or generalised stiffness?

Background: Idiopathic Toe Walking (ITW) is present in children older than 3 years of age still walking on their toes without signs of neurological, orthopaedic or psychiatric diseases. ITW has been estimated to occur in 7% to 24% of the childhood population. To study associations between Idiopathic Toe Walking (ITW) and decrease in range of joint motion of the ankle joint.

Decreasing incidence and severity of cerebral palsy in prematurely born children.

Objective: To examine incidence and severity of cerebral palsy (CP), and associated factors among preterm survivors (gestational age <34 weeks), admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit from 1990-2005.

Study Design: Eighteen antenatal, perinatal and postnatal factors were analyzed. The cohort was divided in four birth periods: 1990-1993 (n=661), 1994-1997 (n=726), 1998-2001 (n=723), and 2002-2005 (n=850).

Becoming and staying physically active in adolescents with cerebral palsy: protocol of a qualitative study of facilitators and barriers to physical activity.

Background: Adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) show a reduced physical activity (PA). Currently there are no interventions for adolescents with CP in this critical life phase that optimise and maintain the individuals' physical activity in the long term. To develop such a program it is important to fully understand the factors that influence physical activity behaviours in adolescents with CP.

Video gait analysis for ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: Why, when, where and how!

Purpose: This paper outlines the application of video gait analysis (VGA) for children with cerebral palsy (CP) when full instrumented three dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) is either not indicated or not available.

Scope: Gait analysis is an important part of the assessment of ambulant children with CP for diagnosing gait deviations and for evaluating change. Many regard 3DGA as the most informative method of assessing gait, however, it is not always accessible, practical, or feasible and the detail obtained is not always indicated.