Paralysis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Paralysis, including details on treatment, diagnosis, facial paralysis, sleep paralysis.

The treatment and management of alternating hemiplegia of childhood.

Neville BG, Ninan M

Neurosciences Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK. b.neville@ich.ucl.ac.uk

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood has many factors that make it difficult to manage. These include its rarity of about one case per million, the variability of the manifestations, with seven characteristic features, and the potential for disabilities and acute, often severe, episodes in a disease that is of uncertain cause and for which treatment evidence is sparse. An integrated multidisciplinary team and emergency availability are key medical requirements, as well as an educational setting that understands the variations in performance that occur. The mainstays of treatment have been flunarizine, antiepilepsy drugs for the 50% of patients with epilepsy, attempts to avoid trigger situations, and the rapid encouragement of sleep when attacks begin. The diagnostic and management predicament of child, parent, and paediatrician in complex rare disorders are well illustrated by this condition.

Published 20 September 2007 in Dev Med Child Neurol, 49(10): 777-80.
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