Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy
Published on: November 3, 2016
Risk factors affecting prognosis in infantile spasm
Gulen Gul Mert1, Mihriban Ozlem Herguner1, Faruk Incecik1
1a Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology , Cukurova University , Adana , Turkey.
Insights
Infantile spasms significantly impact neurodevelopment and epilepsy prognosis. Key risk factors include early presentation age, symptomatic etiology, and abnormal initial assessments, with adrenocorticotropic hormone showing treatment efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Background:
- Infantile spasms (IS) represent a severe form of early-onset epilepsy.
- IS is associated with significant neurodevelopmental deficits and challenging epilepsy prognosis.
- Understanding prognostic factors is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors influencing neurodevelopmental outcomes in infantile spasms.
- To determine factors affecting epilepsy prognosis and treatment response in IS patients.
- To evaluate the long-term prognosis of infantile spasms.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 104 patients diagnosed with infantile spasms.
- Assessment of demographics, treatment, etiology, and risk factors over a minimum 24-month follow-up.
- Statistical analysis to identify significant predictors of neurodevelopmental and epilepsy prognosis.
Main Results:
- Poor neurodevelopmental prognosis linked to neonatal seizures, abnormal head circumference, young age at presentation, symptomatic etiology, abnormal initial exams/development tests, consanguinity, and later treatment initiation center.
- Poor epilepsy prognosis associated with abnormal initial exams/development tests, consanguineous parents, young age at presentation, symptomatic etiology, and family history of intellectual disability/epilepsy.
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) demonstrated statistically significant efficacy for seizure control compared to other antiepileptic drugs.
Conclusions:
- Infantile spasms remain a catastrophic, age-related epileptic encephalopathy with significant long-term consequences.
- Etiology, age at presentation, and treatment initiation center are paramount factors influencing epilepsy prognosis.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for optimizing outcomes in infantile spasms.
Aim:
To assess risk factors that affect epilepsy prognosis and neurodevelopmental outcome and response to treatment in patients diagnosed with infantile spasm.
Methods:
In this study, demographics, treatment modalities, etiologies, risk factors affecting neurodevelopmental outcome and epilepsy prognosis were assessed retrospectively at the end of a minimum 24-months follow-up of 104 patients diagnosed with infantile spasm from May 2012 to October 2015.
Results:
Neonatal seizure during neonatal period, abnormal head circumference, young age at the time of presentation and early gestational age, symptomatic etiology, abnormal initial examination and abnormal development test at the time of diagnosis, consanguinity, the medical center where treatment was started in the second center or beyond and magnetic resonance imaging finding were found to be statistically significant for poor prognosis in terms of neurodevelopment (p < 0.05). Abnormal initial examination and abnormal development test both at the time of diagnosis and at the end of follow-up, consanguineous parents, young age at the time of presentation, symptomatic etiology, a family history of mental retardation and epilepsy were found to be statistically significant for poor prognosis in terms of epilepsy. Administration of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) for seizure control was statistically significant compared to other antiepileptic drugs (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Infantile spasm is an age-related epileptic encephalopathy, and it was observed that it is still catastrophic, and that the most important factor affecting prognosis of epilepsy is etiology, age at the time of presentation and the medical center where treatment was started in the second center or beyond.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
01:13Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
01:24Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
01:21Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects
Unlike...