Neuropsychiatric symptoms and problems among children with idiopathic toe-walking

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Idiopathic toe-walking (ITW) is characterized by children walking on their toes without an underlying medical cause.
• Diagnosis of ITW is made through exclusion of other potential conditions.
• This study investigates the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in children diagnosed with ITW.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms in children aged 5 to 13 with idiopathic toe-walking.
• To compare the neuropsychiatric profiles of children with ITW to a normative group.
• To highlight the need for comprehensive assessments in children with ITW.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-one children diagnosed with ITW were evaluated by pediatric orthopaedic and neurology specialists.
• Parents completed the Five to Fifteen questionnaire, a validated tool for screening neuropsychiatric problems.
• The ITW cohort was compared to an age-matched control group.

Main Results:

• Children with ITW exhibited higher percentages of difficulties in motor skills (39.0%), executive functions (17.6%), perception (25.5%), memory (23.5%), language (23.5%), learning (25.9%), social skills (25.5%), and emotional/behavioral problems (21.6%).
• These percentages represent scores above the 90th percentile in the screening tool.
• The study group showed a greater prevalence of neuropsychiatric issues compared to the normative group.

Conclusions:

• Children with idiopathic toe-walking demonstrate a higher incidence of neuropsychiatric problems as a group.
• These findings suggest that a thorough neuropsychiatric evaluation should be considered for children with ITW.
• Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to confirm these observations and inform clinical practice.