Cortisol dynamics, quality of life and fatigue following traumatic brain injury in childhood.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of acquired neurological morbidity. The prevalence of post-traumatic hypopituitarism (PTHP) and associated morbidity after childhood TBI is unclear. Our study investigated long term HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis function, in a prospective childhood TBI and control cohort, using measures of cortisol/cortisone secretion (physiological, stimulated), HPA axis feedback and exploring associations with fatigue, depression and Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes.

Nutritional blindness from avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder - recommendations for the early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of children at risk from restrictive eating.

Avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder characterised by limited consumption or the avoidance of certain foods, leading to the persistent failure to meet the individual's nutritional and/or energy needs. The disordered eating is not explained by the lack of available food or cultural beliefs. ARFID is often associated with a heightened sensitivity to the sensory features of different types of food and may be more prevalent among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for this reason.

A case report: Paediatric surfer's myelopathy.

Surfer's myelopathy was first described by Thompson et al., in 2004. It is a rare cause of sudden spinal cord injury that occurs in the absence of direct trauma to the spinal area in novice healthy surfers.

Seizure management in children requiring palliative care: a review of current practice.

Objectives: Controlling seizures in children approaching death can be difficult, and there is a limited evidence base to guide best practice. We compared current practice against the guidance for seizure management produced by the Association of Paediatric Palliative Medicine (APPM).

Methods: Retrospective case note review of episodes of challenging seizure management in children receiving end-of-life care over a 10-year period (2006-2015) in the south-west region of England.

Cognitive function in children with brain tumors in the first year after diagnosis compared to healthy matched controls.

Background: Improved survival of children with brain tumors (BTs) has increased focus on ameliorating morbidity. To reduce the risk of progressive cognitive decline, remedial strategies need to be instituted early, based upon accurate appraisal of need, yet few studies have investigated cognition in BT children early post-diagnosis. The study aims were to investigate cognition in children with primary BTs 1, 6, and 12 months post-diagnosis compared with healthy children, exploring the impact of disease and treatment variables.

Spinal cord arterio-venous malformations in children: a rare but important diagnosis.

Spinal cord arterio-venous malformations (AVMs) are rare and the diagnosis is often delayed or missed. We describe two cases presenting in different ways, as subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) or myelopathy. A catheter angiogram confirmed the diagnosis following which they were treated with coil occlusion or embolisation, or a combination of both, without any complications.

A detailed prospective longitudinal assessment of health status in children with brain tumors in the first year after diagnosis.

Purpose: To compare health status (HS) in children with brain tumors at 1 (t1), 6 (t6), and 12 (t12) months after diagnosis with "normal" controls. To assess the relationship between parent-report and self-report HS for patients at t12.

Methods: HS was assessed using the Health Utilities Index Mark III parent-report at all time points and self-report at t12.

Child-related determinants of health-related quality of life in children with brain tumours 1 year after diagnosis.

Objectives: Infratentorial tumour site and health-related quality of life (HRQL) 1 month after diagnosis have been shown to predict HRQL 1 year after diagnosis in children with brain tumours. This study aimed to identify additional early child-related determinants of parent- and child-report HRQL.

Methods: Longitudinal prospective study.

Family, demographic and illness-related determinants of HRQL in children with brain tumours in the first year after diagnosis.

Aims: To evaluate the relationship between parent- and child-report Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) and demographic, tumour and family variables in children with a brain tumour in the first year after diagnosis and to identify determinants of HRQL at 12 months.

Procedure: Longitudinal prospective study: Semi-structured interviews took place approximately 1, 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. HRQL was measured using the self- and parent-report PedsQL 4.

High frequency stimulation of the mamillothalamic tract for the treatment of resistant seizures associated with hypothalamic hamartoma.

We investigate the clinical outcome from stimulation of the mamillothalamic tract in two patients with intractable epilepsy secondary to hypothalamic hamartomas. One patient has a left-sided and the other a right-sided tumor. Both patients presented with a history of gelastic and complex partial seizures resistant to multiple antiepileptic drugs.

The King's Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury and injury severity and outcome measures in children with traumatic brain injury.

The aim of this study was to relate discharge King's Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury (KOSCHI) category to injury severity and detailed outcome measures obtained in the first year post-traumatic brain injury (TBI). We used a prospective cohort study. Eighty-one children with TBI were studied: 29 had severe, 15 moderate, and 37 mild TBI.

Health related quality of life in the first year after diagnosis in children with brain tumours compared with matched healthy controls; a prospective longitudinal study.

This paper compares parent- and self-report health-related quality of life (HRQL) in children aged 2-16 years with brain tumours, one, six and twelve months after diagnosis with matched normal controls. HRQL was assessed using the PedsQL generic core scales. 37 tumour patients and 42 controls were included in analysis of parent-report, and 27 patients and 31 controls in self-report HRQL.

Severe progressive late onset myelopathy and arachnoiditis following neonatal meningitis.

This case series describes four children who had meningitis in the neonatal period. After a stable period of years, they developed a myelopathy caused by chronic arachnoiditis. The myelopathy was precipitated by a fall in two cases, and in two cases there was an acute deterioration after surgery.

Adrenalectomy further suppresses the NT-3 mRNA response to traumatic brain injury but this effect is not reversed with corticosterone.

Fluid percussion injury (FPI) and in situ hybridisation were used to evaluate the expression of NT-3 mRNA in the hippocampus after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised rats (with or without corticosterone replacement). FPI and adrenalectomy independently significantly reduced the expression of NT-3 mRNA in the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA2 region. The effects of adrenalectomy in the CA2 region were partially reversed with corticosterone.