Background: West syndrome (WS) is an epileptic encephalopathy characterized by spasms, neurodevelopment delay, and hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalography. Infantile spasms have incidence of about 0.43 per 1000 livebirths occur between 3 12 months age. The drug's choice the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), with varied response rates limited efficacy data, relapses, evolution to other kinds...

The rapid corticotropin test with synthetic corticotropin ( 1-24 peptide) was studied. A single intravenous injection of the corticotropin was performed in 26 human subjects. The increment of plasma 11-0HCS concentration by the administration was less than that of NH-corticotropin dripping infusion or synthetic corticotropin intramuscular injection. Intramuscular rapid corticotropin test was co...

Objective: To update the 2004 American Academy of Neurology/Child Neurology Society practice parameter on treatment of infantile spasms in children. Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from 2002 to 2011 and searches of reference lists of retrieved articles were performed. Sixty-eight articles were selected for detailed review; 26 were included in the analysis. Recommendations were based o...

OBJECTIVE To review the result of the infantile spasms' treatment with sodium valproate followed by nitrazepam or clonazepam. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive retrospective study. SETTING Srinagarind Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD Twenty-four infantile spasms admitted between January 1994 and December 2003 we...

PURPOSE Infantile spasms is a severe infantile seizure disorder. Several factors affect developmental outcome, especially the underlying etiology of the spasms. Treatment also affects outcome. Both age at onset of spasms and lead time to treatment (the time from onset of spasms to start of treatment) may be important. We investigated these factors. METHODS Developmental assessment using Vinel...

West syndrome (infantile spasms) is an epileptic encephalopathy that includes psychomotor deterioration. In rare cases, it is due to an inherited, progressive metabolic disease. More than 25 inborn errors of metabolism have been considered etiologic or predisposing factors for infantile spasms. This is a review of the literature on reported cases of children diagnosed with a metabolic disease w...

We present the case of a 50-year-old female patient with Friedreich ataxia (FA) who was treated successfully with an intrathecal baclofen (ITB)-delivering pump for painful spasms. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of FA where ITB relieved painful and disabling spasms. We suggest that ITB should be considered in the treatment of disabling spasms in patients with FA.

The sturgeon is a primitive actinopterigian fish that, unlike modern teleosts, possess a portal vascular system that connects a true median eminence with the anterior pituitary as in mammals. The occurrence and localization of corticotropin and corticotropin releasing factor-like immunoreactivies were examined in the brain of the sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus L.) by immunocytochemistry with anti...

The development of a 'two-site' immunoradiometric assay (i.r.m.a.) for the direct estimation of human corticotropin-(1-39)-peptide in plasma is described. The assay is based on the simultaneous addition of 125I-labelled sheep anti-(N-terminal corticotropin) IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies and rabbit anti-(C-terminal corticotropin) antiserum to standards and unknowns (0.5 ml) followed by 18h i...

Background: Brachial artery spasms may occur during transradial cardiac catheterization. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between brachial artery spasms after transradial cardiac catheterization and coronary artery disease. Methods: Two hundred and forty-one patients who received transradial cardiac catheterization for diagnosis of coronary artery disease were enrolled ...