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As of 2017, data on optimal treatment was limited. Therapies with hormones is the standard of care, namely adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), or oral
corticosteroids such as prednisone. Vigabatrin is also a common consideration, though there is a risk of visual field loss with long term use. The high cost of ACTH leads doctors to avoid it in the US; higher dose prednisone appears to generate equivalent outcomes.
As of 2017 data from clinical trials of the ketogenic diet for treating infantile spams was inconsistent; most trials were as a second-line therapy after failure of drug treatment, and as of 2017 it had not been explored as a first line treatment in an adequately designed clinical trial.
There is no known cure for microcephaly. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
Treatment is symptomatic, and may include anti-seizure medication and special or supplemental education consisting of physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
Treatment for individuals with schizencephaly generally consists of physical therapy (KG-ZNS with Vojta Methode), occupational therapy (with specific emphasis on neuro-developmental therapy techniques), treatment for seizures, and, in cases that are complicated by hydrocephalus, a shunt.
Treatment plans will vary depending on the severity of the condition and its evidences in each patient.
Areas that will probably need to be evaluated and assessed include speech, vision, hearing and EEG. Treatment measures may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, Speech therapy, anti-seizure drugs and orthotic devices. Surgery may be needed to assuage spastic motor problems. Various supportive measures such as joint contractures that could prevent complications.
Genetic counseling may also be recommended
Currently there is no specific treatment for this condition. Management is supportive.
Treatment for individuals with Dandy–Walker Syndrome generally consists of treating the associated problems, if needed.
A special tube (shunt) to reduce intracranial pressure may be placed inside the skull to control swelling. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is also an option.
Treatment may also consist of various therapies such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy or specialized education. Services of a teacher of students with blindness/visual impairment may be helpful if the eyes are affected.
Most patients suffering from KTS have epilepsy that is resistant to anti-epileptic agents. Some patients showed a partial response to treatment, but very few were able to stop their epilepsy through treatment. One case was responsive to treatment using Phenobartbital and vigabatrin which are both anti-epileptic agents. Spasticity can be treated with baclofen, but not all patients are responsive to the treatment.
Treatment of Aicardi syndrome primarily involves management of seizures and early/continuing intervention programs for developmental delays.
Additional comorbidities and complications sometimes seen with Aicardi syndrome include porencephalic cysts and hydrocephalus, and gastro-intestinal problems. Treatment for porencephalic cysts and/or hydrocephalus is often via a shunt or endoscopic of the cysts, though some require no treatment. Placement of a feeding tube, fundoplication, and surgeries to correct hernias or other gastrointestinal structural problems are sometimes used to treat gastro-intestinal issues.
Treatments are usually based on the individuals symptoms that are displayed. The seizures are controlled with anticonvulsant medication. For the behavior problems, the doctors proscribe to a few medications and behavioral modification routines that involve therapists and other types of therapy. Even if mental retardation is severe, it does not seem to shorten the lifespan of the patient or to get worse with age.
At the moment there are no therapies specifically targeting the underlying cause of AGS. Current treatments address the symptoms, which can be varied both in scope and severity. Many patients benefit from tube-feeding. Drugs can be administered to help with seizures / epilepsy. The treatment of chilblains remains problematic, but particularly involves keeping the feet / hands warm. Physical therapy, including the use of splints can help to prevent contractures and surgery is sometimes required. Botox (botulinium toxin) has sometimes caused severe immune reactions in some AGS patients, and the high risk of possible further brain damage must be considered before giving Botox. Occupational therapy can help with development, and the use of technology (e.g. Assistive Communication Devices) can facilitate communication. Patients should be regularly screened for treatable conditions, most particularly glaucoma and endocrine problems (especially hypothyroidism). The risk versus benefit of giving immunizations also must be considered, as some AGS patients have high immune responses or flares that cause further brain damage from immunizations but other patients have no problems with immunizations; on the other hand, AGS patients have died from illnesses that can be immunized against, so the family must consider the risk vs. benefit of each immunization vs. risk of the actual virus if they choose not to immunize. As of 2017, there are current drug trials being conducted that may lead to drug treatments for AGS.
Stem cell therapy is considered a very promising treatment for patients with colpocephaly. Oligodendroglial cells can be used which will increase the production of myelin and alleviate symptoms of colpocephaly. Damage to the developing oligodendrocytes near the cerebral ventricles causes cerebral palsy as well as other demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophies. Demyelination reduces the speed of conduction in affected nerves resulting in disabilities in cognition, sensation, and motor. Therefore, by using oligodendrocyte stem cells the effects of cerebral palsy can be treated and other symptoms of colpocephaly can be alleviated.
Although 1p36 Deletion Syndrome can be debilitating in many ways, patients do respond to various treatments and therapies. These include the following:
American Sign Language: Because few individuals with Monosomy 1p36 develop complex speech, an alternate form of communication is critical to development. Most patients can learn basic signs to communicate their needs and wants. This also appears to reduce frustration and may reduce self-injurious tendencies. Children with hearing loss will often qualify for locally sponsored sign language classes.
Music Therapy: Music has been shown to aid children with 1p36 deletion in various developmental areas. It serves as an excellent auditory stimulus and can teach listening skills. Songs with actions help the child to develop coordination and motor skills.
Physical Therapy: Due to low muscle tone, patients with 1p36 Deletions take a great deal of time to learn to roll over, sit up, crawl and walk. However, regular physical therapy has shown to shorten the length of time needed to achieve each of those developmental milestones.
Occupational Therapy can be helpful to help children with oral motor and feeding difficulties (including dysphagia and transitioning to solid foods) as well as developmental delays in motor, social and sensory domains.
Most children who develop epilepsy are treated conventionally with anticonvulsants. In about 70% of cases of childhood epilepsy, medication can completely control seizures. Unfortunately, medications come with an extensive list of side effects that range from mild discomfort to major cognitive impairment. Usually, the adverse cognitive effects are ablated following dose reduction or cessation of the drug.
Medicating a child is not always easy. Many pills are made only to be swallowed, which can be difficult for a child. For some medications, chewable versions do exist.
The ketogenic diet is used to treat children who have not responded successfully to other treatments. This diet is low in carbohydrates, adequate in protein and high in fat. It has proven successful in two thirds of epilepsy cases.
In some cases, severe epilepsy is treated with the hemispherectomy, a drastic surgical procedure in which part or all of one of the hemispheres of the brain is removed.
Because pachygyria is a structural defect no treatments are currently available other than symptomatic treatments, especially for associated seizures. Another common treatment is a gastrostomy (insertion of a feeding tube) to reduce possible poor nutrition and repeated aspiration pneumonia.
Often, an interdisciplinary approach is recommended to treat the issues associated with CdLS. A team for promoting the child's well-being often includes speech, occupational and physical therapists, teachers, physicians and parents.
The only treatment for MWS is only symptomatic, with multidisciplinary management
There is no cure for this condition. Treatment is supportive and varies depending on how symptoms present and their severity. Some degree of developmental delay is expected in almost all cases of M-CM, so evaluation for early intervention or special education programs is appropriate. Rare cases have been reported with no discernible delay in academic or school abilities.
Physical therapy and orthopedic bracing can help young children with gross motor development. Occupational therapy or speech therapy may also assist with developmental delays. Attention from an orthopedic surgeon may be required for leg length discrepancy due to hemihyperplasia.
Children with hemihyperplasia are thought to have an elevated risk for certain types of cancers. Recently published management guidelines recommend regular abdominal ultrasounds up to age eight to detect Wilms' tumor. AFP testing to detect liver cancer is not recommended as there have been no reported cases of hepatoblastoma in M-CM patients.
Congenital abnormalities in the brain and progressive brain overgrowth can result in a variety of neurological problems that may require intervention. These include hydrocephalus, cerebellar tonsillar herniation (Chiari I), seizures and syringomyelia. These complications are not usually congenital, they develop over time often presenting complications in late infancy or early childhood, though they can become problems even later. Baseline brain and spinal cord MRI imaging with repeat scans at regular intervals is often prescribed to monitor the changes that result from progressive brain overgrowth.
Assessment of cardiac health with echocardiogram and EKG may be prescribed and arrhythmias or abnormalities may require surgical treatment.
The prognosis for individuals with schizencephaly varies depending on the size of the clefts and the degree of neurological deficit.
Colpocephaly is usually non-fatal. There has been relatively little research conducted to improve treatments for colpocephaly, and there is no known definitive treatment of colpocephaly yet. Specific treatment depends on associated symptoms and the degree of dysfunction. Anticonvulsant medications can be given to prevent seizure complications, and physical therapy is used to prevent contractures (shrinkage or shortening of muscles) in patients that have limited mobility. Patients can also undergo surgeries for stiff joints to improve motor function. The prognosis for individuals with colpocephaly depends on the severity of the associated conditions and the degree of abnormal brain development.
A rare case of colpocephaly is described in literature which is associated with macrocephaly instead of microcephaly. Increased intracranial pressure was also found in the condition. Similar symptoms (absence of corpus callosum and increased head circumference) were noted as in the case of colpocephaly that is associated with microcephaly. A bi-ventricular peritoneal shunt was performed, which greatly improved the symptoms of the condition. Ventriculo-peritoneal shunts are used to drain the fluid into the peritoneal cavity.
Treatments for ATR-16 syndrome depend on the symptoms experienced by any individual. Alpha thalassemia is usually self-limiting, but in some cases may require a blood transfusion or chelating treatment.
There are no treatment to return to its normal functions. However, there are treatments for the different symptoms.
For the Developmental symptoms, Educational intervention and speech therapy beginning in infancy could help to reduce the high risk for motor, cognitive, speech, and language delay
For theSkeletal features, referral to an orthopedist for consideration of surgical release of contractures. In addition,early referral to physical therapy could help increase joint mobility.
Lastly, Thyroid hormone replacement could help out the thyroid dysfunction
Currently, the only effective treatment for encephaloceles is reparative surgery, generally performed during infancy. The extent to which it can be corrected depends on the location and size of the encephaloceles; however, large protrusions can be removed without causing major disability. Surgery repositions the bulging area back into the skull, removes the protrusions, and corrects the deformities, typically relieving pressure that can delay normal brain development. Occasionally, shunts are placed to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain.
The goals of treatment include:
- closure of open skin defects to prevent infection and desiccation of brain tissue
- removal of nonfunctional extracranial cerebral tissue with water-tight closure of the dura
- total craniofacial reconstruction with particular emphasis on avoiding the long-nose deformity (nasal elongation that results from depression of the cribiform plate and nasal placode). Without proper management, the long-nose deformity can be more obvious after repair.
No treatment is available to cure or slow down the progression of aspartylglucosaminuria. Bone marrow transplants have been conducted in hope that the bone marrow will produce the missing enzyme. The results of the tests thus far have shown to be inconclusive.
In general, gray matter heterotopia is fixed in both its occurrence and symptoms; that is, once symptoms occur, it does not tend to progress. Varying results from surgical resection of the affected area have been reported. Although such surgery cannot reverse developmental disabilities, it may provide full or partial relief from seizures.
Heterotopia are most commonly isolated anomalies, but may be part of a number of syndromes, including chromosomal abnormalities and fetal exposure to toxins (including alcohol).