Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy

Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy

Sydney Martin,1 Michael S Salman2 1Department of Family Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 2Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Martin S, Salman MS
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Dove Medical Press 2021
Materias:
incoordination
ataxia
children
developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
Medicine (General)
R5-920
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/e1eabae6b5de4aa094fdfc0976242234
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:e1eabae6b5de4aa094fdfc0976242234
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:e1eabae6b5de4aa094fdfc09762422342021-11-30T18:50:37ZAssessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy1178-2390https://doaj.org/article/e1eabae6b5de4aa094fdfc09762422342021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.dovepress.com/assessing-children-with-poor-coordination-can-be-tricky--a-review-on-a-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JMDHhttps://doaj.org/toc/1178-2390Sydney Martin,1 Michael S Salman2 1Department of Family Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 2Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaCorrespondence: Michael S SalmanSection of Pediatric Neurology, Children’s Hospital, AE 308, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A 1R9, CanadaTel +1204 787 2414Fax +1204 787 1922Email msalman@hsc.mb.caAbstract: While ataxia is a relatively common presenting feature in pediatric patients, it represents only one possible cause of uncoordinated movements. Other possible causes of uncoordinated movements include ingestion of toxic substances, musculoskeletal diseases, psychogenic disorders, extrapyramidal movement disorders, peripheral neuropathies, spasticity from any cause, and epilepsy. Therefore, primary health care providers must recognize and exclude other etiologies of uncoordinated movements before attaching the label “ataxia” to any patient presenting with poor coordination. Once the presence of ataxia is confirmed, the cause should be investigated. As ataxia may be vestibular, sensory, or cerebellar in origin, medical practitioners must evaluate the diverse symptoms and signs to effectively differentiate the various types of ataxia. Three case studies are presented to illustrate the complexity associated with the assessment of ataxia. Each case will discuss a pediatric patient who displays cerebellar ataxia as a concurrent feature of a gene-specific developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. These cases will provide an example of how ataxia may be differentiated from other causes of uncoordinated movements related to epilepsy and anti-seizure medications, namely: nonconvulsive seizures, postictal state, and medication side effects or toxicity. The assessment of poor balance can be challenging at times; however, with knowledge of the differential diagnosis of poor balance, medical practitioners will be able to confidently determine the presence of true ataxia from various ataxia mimickers, thereby allowing for timely and accurate diagnosis, and appropriate management.Keywords: incoordination, ataxia, children, developmental and epileptic encephalopathyMartin SSalman MSDove Medical Pressarticleincoordinationataxiachildrendevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathyMedicine (General)R5-920ENJournal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Vol Volume 14, Pp 3331-3341 (2021)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic incoordination
ataxia
children
developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
Medicine (General)
R5-920
spellingShingle incoordination
ataxia
children
developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
Medicine (General)
R5-920
Martin S
Salman MS
Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy
description Sydney Martin,1 Michael S Salman2 1Department of Family Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 2Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaCorrespondence: Michael S SalmanSection of Pediatric Neurology, Children’s Hospital, AE 308, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A 1R9, CanadaTel +1204 787 2414Fax +1204 787 1922Email msalman@hsc.mb.caAbstract: While ataxia is a relatively common presenting feature in pediatric patients, it represents only one possible cause of uncoordinated movements. Other possible causes of uncoordinated movements include ingestion of toxic substances, musculoskeletal diseases, psychogenic disorders, extrapyramidal movement disorders, peripheral neuropathies, spasticity from any cause, and epilepsy. Therefore, primary health care providers must recognize and exclude other etiologies of uncoordinated movements before attaching the label “ataxia” to any patient presenting with poor coordination. Once the presence of ataxia is confirmed, the cause should be investigated. As ataxia may be vestibular, sensory, or cerebellar in origin, medical practitioners must evaluate the diverse symptoms and signs to effectively differentiate the various types of ataxia. Three case studies are presented to illustrate the complexity associated with the assessment of ataxia. Each case will discuss a pediatric patient who displays cerebellar ataxia as a concurrent feature of a gene-specific developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. These cases will provide an example of how ataxia may be differentiated from other causes of uncoordinated movements related to epilepsy and anti-seizure medications, namely: nonconvulsive seizures, postictal state, and medication side effects or toxicity. The assessment of poor balance can be challenging at times; however, with knowledge of the differential diagnosis of poor balance, medical practitioners will be able to confidently determine the presence of true ataxia from various ataxia mimickers, thereby allowing for timely and accurate diagnosis, and appropriate management.Keywords: incoordination, ataxia, children, developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
format article
author Martin S
Salman MS
author_facet Martin S
Salman MS
author_sort Martin S
title Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy
title_short Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy
title_full Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy
title_fullStr Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy
title_full_unstemmed Assessing Children with Poor Coordination Can Be Tricky – A Review on Ataxia and Ataxia Mimickers and a Study of Three Children with Severe Epilepsy
title_sort assessing children with poor coordination can be tricky – a review on ataxia and ataxia mimickers and a study of three children with severe epilepsy
publisher Dove Medical Press
publishDate 2021
url https://doaj.org/article/e1eabae6b5de4aa094fdfc0976242234
work_keys_str_mv AT martins assessingchildrenwithpoorcoordinationcanbetrickyndashareviewonataxiaandataxiamimickersandastudyofthreechildrenwithsevereepilepsy
AT salmanms assessingchildrenwithpoorcoordinationcanbetrickyndashareviewonataxiaandataxiamimickersandastudyofthreechildrenwithsevereepilepsy
_version_ 1718406356097040384

Ejemplares similares