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Published on: October 24, 2019
Sensory evoked potentials in infants with Down syndrome
Yung-Jung Chen1, Peng-Cheng Fang
1Department of Paediatrics, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. pcyj@mail.ncku.edu.tw
Insights
Infants with Down syndrome (DS) show sensory pathway deficits. Evoked potential tests revealed abnormalities in visual and somatosensory pathways, indicating early sensory dysfunction in DS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder associated with developmental delays.
- Sensory pathway development is crucial for infant development.
- Early identification of sensory deficits can inform interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sensory pathway function in infants with Down syndrome (DS).
- To utilize sensory evoked potentials to assess peripheral to central pathway function.
- To identify potential early sensory deficits in infants with DS.
Main Methods:
- Multimodal evoked potentials were used in 55 infants (30 DS, 25 controls).
- Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP), visual evoked potentials (VEP), and short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were recorded.
- Peak latencies and amplitudes were analyzed and compared between groups.
Main Results:
- BAEP showed no significant latency differences, but 9 DS infants had abnormalities (hearing loss or prolonged wave I).
- VEP revealed significantly longer P(2) and N(2) latencies and smaller amplitudes in DS infants.
- SSEP demonstrated prolonged N(20) latencies and N(13)-N(20) interpeak latencies in DS infants.
Conclusions:
- Infants with Down syndrome exhibit diverse sensory pathway deficits within the first year of life.
- Abnormalities were noted in auditory, visual, and somatosensory pathways.
- These findings highlight the importance of early sensory assessment in infants with DS.
Aim:
To investigate the sensory functions of the peripheral to central pathways in infants with Down syndrome (DS) by sensory evoked potentials.
Methods:
Fifty-five infants, 30 DS infants and 25 controls, were examined by multimodal evoked potentials, including brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP), visual evoked potentials (VEP) and short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP).
Results:
No obvious difference was found in the peak latencies between the two groups for BAEP. Nine children with DS showed abnormal BAEP; six had hearing loss and three had prolonged wave I latencies. For VEP, the peak latencies of P(2) and N(2) were significantly longer and the amplitudes were smaller in the DS group than in the control group. Of the 30 infants with DS, five had significantly prolonged P(2) latencies and two had lower amplitudes. In SSEP, the mean latencies of N(20) and the interpeak latencies of N(13)-N(20) of the infants with DS showed apparent prolongation compared to the controls. Seven of 30 (23.3%) DS patients had prolonged N(20) latencies.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that various sensory deficits occur in patients with DS during the first year of life.
