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Breath-holding spells may be associated with maturational delay in myelination of brain stem

Sebahattin Vurucu1, Abdulbaki Karaoglu, Sukru M Paksu

  • 1*Department of Pediatric Neurology and †Department of Pediatrics, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey; ‡Department of Pediatrics, Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey; §Department of Neurology and ‖Department of Biochemistry, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey.

Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society
|February 5, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Delayed brain stem maturation may contribute to breath-holding spells in children. Brain stem auditory evoked potentials showed prolonged latencies in children with spells, suggesting a maturational delay in myelination.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neurophysiology

Background:

  • Breath-holding spells (BHS) are common in children.
  • The underlying etiology of BHS is not fully understood.
  • Brain stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) assess neural pathway function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential role of brain stem maturational delay in the etiology of BHS.
  • To utilize BAEPs to evaluate brain stem function in children with BHS.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study comparing children with BHS to healthy controls.
  • BAEPs were recorded in both groups.
  • Analysis included interpeak latencies (I-V and III-V) and comparison of results between groups, considering anemia status.

Main Results:

  • Significantly prolonged III-V and I-V interpeak latencies were observed in children with BHS compared to controls.
  • These prolonged latencies persisted even in children without anemia, indicating a specific brain stem issue.
  • No significant difference in mean age between study and control groups.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that a maturational delay in brain stem myelination may be implicated in the pathogenesis of BHS.
  • BAEPs can serve as a diagnostic tool to identify such delays in children with BHS.
Abstract

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