Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

‘Behavioural comorbidity in Tanzanian children with epilepsy: a community-based case–control study’ by Kathryn Burton, Jane Rogathe, Ewan Hunter, Matthew Burton, Mark Swai, Jim Todd, Brian Neville, Richard Walker, Charles Newton. The aim and emphasis of this study was to define the prevalence of and risk factors for behavioural disorders in children with epilepsy from a rural district of Tanzania by conducting a community-based case–control study. Editor in Chief of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, Dr Peter Baxter, speaks to one of the co-authors, Professor Charles Newton (Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, UK) and to Professor David Dunn (Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA), who has written a commentary with Rachel Yoder on this paper: ‘Challenge of neurological and psychosocial problems in developing countries’. Read the paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04109.x/abstract Read the commentary: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04121.x/abstract

The term ‘stereotypies’ encompasses a diverse range of movements, behaviours, and/or vocalizations that are repetitive, lack clear function, and sometimes appear to have a negative impact upon an individual’s life. This review aims to describe motor stereotypies. This study reviewed the current literature on the nature, aetiology, and treatment of motor stereotypies. This review features in the November 2011 issue of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology: ‘Neurodevelopmental movement disorders – an update on childhood motor stereotypies’ by Sinéad Barry, Gillian Baird, Karine Lascelles, Penny Bunton, Tammy Hedderly. Pediatric Neurologist and Leader of the TANDeM Clinic, Evelina Children’s Hospital, London and Professor Mark Mahone, Child Neuropsychologist and Director of the Neuropsychology in Kennedy Kreeger Institute in Baltimore Editor in Chief Dr Peter Baxter, speaks to one of the authors of the review, Tammy Hederly (Pediatric Neurologist and Leader of the TANDeM Clinic, Evelina Children’s Hospital, London) and guest speaker Professor Mark Mahone (Child Neuropsychologist and Director of the Neuropsychology in Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, USA). Read the paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04058.x/abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence for the predictive validity of Prechtl’s Method on the Qualitative Assessment of General Movements (GMsA) with respect to neurodevelopmental outcomes. This paper: ‘Predictive validity of Prechtl’s Method on the Qualitative Assessment of General Movements: a systematic review of the evidence’ authored by Vasiliki Darsaklis, Laurie M Snider, Annette Majnemer, Barbara Mazer, published in the October issue of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, is discussed by Dr Peter Baxter, Editor in Chief of the journal, and two of the authors, Vasiliki Darsaklis (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada) and Laurie M Snider (School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, and CRIR, Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada). Read the paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04017.x/abstract

A first episode of central nervous system (CNS) demyelination may represent heterogeneous entities such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, clinically isolated syndrome, neuromyelitis optica (NMO), or multiple sclerosis. As new immune therapies become available, it is increasingly important to make an early diagnosis. In this podcast, Editor in Chief of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, Dr Peter Baxter, talks to Professor Russell Dale (Clinical School, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney) about the paper he co-authored in the September issue of the journal: 'Cerebrospinal fluid B-cell expansion in longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis associated with neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin G' by Russell C Dale, Esther Tantsis, Vera Merheb, Fabienne Brilot. Read the paper:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03975.x/abstract

The purpose of this study was to create and validate the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for children with cerebral palsy (CP), for use by a wide variety of individuals who are interested in CP. In this August podcast, Dr Peter Baxter speaks to Professor Mary Jo Cooley Heidecker (Assistant Professor, Department of Speech–Language Pathology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, USA) and Professor Peter Rosenabum (Professor of Paediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), who were co-authors of the paper ‘Developing and validating the Communication Function Classification System for individuals with cerebral palsy’ by Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Nigel Paneth, Peter L Rosenbaum, Raymond D Kent, Janet Lillie, John B Eulenberg, Ken Chester, Jr, Brenda Johnson, Lauren Michalsen, Morgan Evatt, Kara Taylor. Read the paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03996.x/abstract Read the commentary: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04035.x/abstract