Treatment and outcome of childhood cerebral sinovenous thrombosis.

Objective: To test our hypothesis that anticoagulation is associated with better neurologic outcomes in childhood cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT), we analyzed treatment and outcomes in a population of 410 children from the International Pediatric Stroke Study (IPSS).

Methods: We included patients enrolled in the IPSS registry with a diagnosis of CSVT at age >28 days with radiologic confirmation, in isolation or with concomitant arterial ischemic stroke. The primary outcome was the neurologic status at discharge.

Pediatric Stroke Impairs Theory of Mind Performance.

Aim: This pilot study explored whether childhood stroke impairs performance on theory of mind (ToM) tasks and whether ToM task performance correlates with resting state connectivity in brain regions linked with social cognition.

Method: We performed a case-control study of 10 children with stroke and 10 age- and gender-matched controls. They completed 2 ToM tasks, and resting state connectivity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Out-of-pocket costs for childhood stroke: the impact of chronic illness on parents' pocketbooks.

Objective: Direct costs for children who had stroke are similar to those for adults. There is no information regarding the out-of-pocket costs families encounter. We described the out-of-pocket costs families encountered in the first year after a child's ischemic stroke.

PedMIDAS-based scoring underestimates migraine disability on non-school days.

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare daily Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS)-based scores for headaches occurring on school days vs non-school days and during the school year vs the summer holiday.

Background: The PedMIDAS is the only instrument validated to assess migraine disability among school-aged children. However, the PedMIDAS may underestimate disability during prolonged school holidays.

Intracranial hemorrhage in children: an evolving spectrum.

Background: Nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) are uncommon in children, but are important causes of death and injury.

Objectives: To determine whether the risk factors for ICH have changed compared with those in earlier published series and to estimate the residual deficits in the survivors.

Design, Setting, And Patients: We performed a retrospective review of patients admitted to a single tertiary care, academic pediatric hospital from January 1, 2000, through May 31, 2007.

Estimating first-trimester combined screening performance for Down syndrome in dried blood spots versus fresh sera.

Purpose: The study purpose was to examine the consequences of using dried blood spots rather than fresh sera in first-trimester Down syndrome screening.

Methods: We collected and compared human chorionic gonadotropin and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A results from clients providing dried blood spots (Cohort 1) and from other clients providing fresh sera (Cohort 2). Inclusion and exclusion criteria aimed at ensuring the two cohorts were similar.

Invasive trophoblast antigen (hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin) in second-trimester maternal urine as a marker for down syndrome: preliminary results of an observational study on fresh samples.

Background: Down syndrome screening is commonly performed in the US using maternal age and three or four second-trimester maternal serum markers that can identify up to 75% of affected pregnancies by offering diagnostic studies to 5% of women. Invasive trophoblast antigen [ITA; hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)] is a promising marker that can be measured in urine or serum in the first or second trimester. We report preliminary results for urinary ITA in an ongoing observational study.