Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Neurobehavioral Assessments in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury
08:32

Neurobehavioral Assessments in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury

Published on: November 24, 2017

Neuropsychologic outcomes in children with neonatal herpes encephalitis

Mona-Lisa Engman1, Ingrid Adolfsson, Ilona Lewensohn-Fuchs

  • 1Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden. mona-lisa.engman@ki.se

Pediatric Neurology
|May 20, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection significantly impacts cognitive function and speech, even with treatment. Neuropsychological assessment is crucial for habilitation and monitoring disease progression in affected infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection with central nervous system (CNS) involvement presents significant morbidity despite acyclovir therapy.
  • Long-term disabilities, including cerebral palsy and cognitive dysfunction, critically affect a child's future habilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define neuropsychological outcomes in children with neonatal HSV CNS infection.
  • To determine the relationship between neonatal neuroimaging findings and long-term neuropsychological outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive cohort study was conducted over 12 years (1989-2000) in the Stockholm area.
  • Included 14 infants diagnosed with neonatal herpes CNS infection out of 267,690 births.
  • Nine children underwent neuropsychological evaluation.

Main Results:

  • Neonatal herpes CNS infection had a profound impact on cognitive function, speech ability, and attention deficit.
  • One child experienced relapse with functional deterioration; social skills were less affected.
  • Neurodevelopmental outcomes did not strongly correlate with cerebral damage seen on early computed tomography scans.

Conclusions:

  • Neuropsychological assessment is vital for the habilitation of children with neonatal herpes CNS infection.
  • Assessment is essential for evaluating new treatments and monitoring cerebral function changes related to relapses.

More Related Videos

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain05:51

Intracerebroventricular and Intravascular Injection of Viral Particles and Fluorescent Microbeads into the Neonatal Brain

Published on: July 24, 2016

Continuous Video Electroencephalogram during Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Mice09:29

Continuous Video Electroencephalogram during Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Mice

Published on: June 11, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology01:26

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
Encephalitis l: Introduction01:19

Encephalitis l: Introduction

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
Hepatic Encephalopathy01:29

Hepatic Encephalopathy

DefinitionHepatic encephalopathy is a reversible neurologic syndrome that results from advanced liver dysfunction or portosystemic shunting. It leads to disturbances in cognition, behavior, and motor function due to the brain’s exposure to gut-derived toxins that the liver fails to detoxify.EtiologyThis condition develops either in the setting of acute fulminant hepatitis or progressively during chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Portosystemic shunting—including...
Cryptococcal Meningitis01:27

Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
Arboviral Encephalitis01:25

Arboviral Encephalitis

Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...