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CMM has clear severe impacts on a patient’s ability to carry out daily manual tasks. It is recommended that children be placed under more forgiving school environments, allowing more time for written evaluations and limiting handwritten assignments, to ease the burden of the movement disability. Furthermore, because of patients’ inability to perform pure unilateral movements and their difficulty with tasks requiring skilled bimanual coordination, young and new members to the workforce are encouraged to consider professions that do not require complex bimanual movements, repetitive or sustained hand movements, or extensive handwriting, to reduce overuse, pain, and discomfort in upper limbs.
Because of its pronounced and obviously noticeable signs and symptoms, CMM patients can suffer social stigma, however physicians need to make it clear to parents, family, and friends that the disorder bears no relation to intellectual abilities. However, the rarity of this neurologic disease, found in one in a million people, makes its societal and cultural significance quite limited.
Currently, clinical diagnosis of CMM disorder has been based on clinical findings or molecular genetic testing.
"Clinical Findings (Signs and Symptoms)"""":"
- onset of mirror movements in infancy or early childhood
- persistence of mirror movements into and throughout adulthood with the absence of other neurologic disorders
- little improvement nor deterioration of mirror movements over the course of one’s life
- intensity of mirrored movements increasing with the complexity of the voluntary movement
- involuntary mirror movements that are generally of lesser amplitude compared with voluntary movements
- predominant mirror movement in upper limbs, with increasing severity in more distal appendages (fingers)
- inability to perform tasks requiring skilled bimanual coordination
- occasional pain in the upper limbs during prolonged manual activities
- occasional observed subclinical mirroring movement, but detectable with accelerometer gloves
"Molecular genetic testing"":"
- identification of a heterozygous mutant "DCC, DNAL4, or RAD51" gene (single gene test or multi-gene panel)
Clinical diagnosis is conducted on individuals with age onset between late teens and late forties who show the initial characteristics for the recessive autosomal cerebellar ataxia.
The following tests are performed:
- MRI brain screening for cerebellum atrophy.
- Molecular genetic testing for SYNE-1 sequence analysis.
- Electrophysiologic studies for polyneurotherapy
- Neurological examination
Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can be performed to identify the mothers carrying the recessive genes for cerebellar ataxia.
Different types of ataxia:
- congenital ataxias (developmental disorders)
- ataxias with metabolic disorders
- ataxias with a DNA repair defect
- degenerative ataxias
- ataxia associated with other features.
Treatment depends upon the underlying disorder. Movement disorders have been known to be associated with a variety of autoimmune diseases.
Step I : Decide the dominant type of movement disorder
Step II : Make differential diagnosis of the particular disorder
Step II: Confirm the diagnosis by lab tests
- Metabolic screening
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- CSF examination
- Genetics
- Imaging
- Neurophysiological tests
- Pharmacological tests
Electrophysiological evidence of denervation with intact motor and sensory nerve conduction findings must be made by using nerve conduction studies, usually in conjunction with EMG. The presence of polyphasic potentials and fibrillation at rest are characteristic of congenital dSMA.
The following are useful in diagnosis:
- Nerve conduction studies (NCS), to test for denervation
- Electromyography (EMG), also to detect denervation
- X-ray, to look for bone abnormalities
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Skeletal muscle biopsy examination
- Serum creatine kinase (CK) level in blood, usually elevated in affected individuals
- Pulmonary function test
Assessments for developmental coordination disorder typically require a developmental history, detailing ages at which significant developmental milestones, such as crawling and walking, occurred. Motor skills screening includes activities designed to indicate developmental coordination disorder, including balancing, physical sequencing, touch sensitivity, and variations on walking activities.
The American Psychiatric Association has four primary inclusive diagnostic criteria for determining if a child has developmental coordination disorder.
The criteria are as follows:
1. Motor Coordination will be greatly reduced, although the intelligence of the child is normal for the age.
2. The difficulties the child experiences with motor coordination or planning interfere with the child's daily life.
3. The difficulties with coordination are not due to any other medical condition
4. If the child does also experience comorbidities such as mental retardation; motor coordination is still disproportionally affected.
Screening tests which can be used to assess developmental coordination disorder include:-
- Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement-ABC – Movement-ABC 2)
- Peabody Developmental Motor Scales- Second Edition (PDMS-2)
- Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP-BOT-2)
- Motoriktest für vier- bis sechsjährige Kinder (MOT 4-6)
- Körperkoordinationtest für Kinder (KTK)
- Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2)
- Maastrichtse Motoriek Test (MMT)
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV)
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WAIT-II)
- Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE-2)
- Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCD-Q)
- Children's Self-Perceptions of Adequacy in, and Predilection for Physical Activity (CSAPPA)
Currently there is no single gold standard assessment test.
A baseline motor assessment establishes the starting point for developmental intervention programs. Comparing children to normal rates of development may help to establish areas of significant difficulty.
However, research in the "British Journal of Special Education" has shown that knowledge is severely limited in many who should be trained to recognise and respond to various difficulties, including developmental coordination disorder, dyslexia and deficits in attention, motor control and perception (DAMP). The earlier that difficulties are noted and timely assessments occur, the quicker intervention can begin. A teacher or GP could miss a diagnosis if they are only applying a cursory knowledge.
"Teachers will not be able to recognise or accommodate the child with learning difficulties in class if their knowledge is limited. Similarly GPs will find it difficult to detect and appropriately refer children with learning difficulties."
Surgery, such as the denervation of selected muscles, may also provide some relief; however, the destruction of nerves in the limbs or brain is not reversible and should be considered only in the most extreme cases. Recently, the procedure of deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven successful in a number of cases of severe generalised dystonia. DBS as treatment for medication-refractory dystonia, on the other hand, may increase the risk of suicide in patients. However, reference data of patients without DBS therapy are lacking.
Since Duane-radial ray syndrome is a genetic disorder, a genetic test would be performed. One test that can be used is the SALL4 sequence analysis that is used to detect if SALL4 is present. If there is no pathogenic variant observed, a deletion/duplication analysis can be ordered following the SALL4 sequence analysis. As an alternative, another genetic test called a multi-gene panel can be ordered to detect SALL4 and any other genes of interest. The methods used for this panel vary depending on the laboratory.
Developmental coordination disorder is a lifelong neurological condition that is more common in males than in females, with a ratio of approximately four males to every female. The exact proportion of people with the disorder is unknown since the disorder can be difficult to detect due to a lack of specific laboratory tests, thus making diagnosis of the condition one of elimination of all other possible causes/diseases. Approximately 5–6% of children are affected by this condition.
Suspicion of a chromosome abnormality is typically raised due to the presence of developmental delays or birth defects. Diagnosis of 18p- is usually made via a blood sample. A routine chromosome analysis, or karyotype, is usually used to make the initial diagnosis, although it may also be made by microarray analysis. Increasingly, microarray analysis is also being used to clarify breakpoints. Prenatal diagnosis is possible via amniocentesis of chorionic villus sampling.
MRI imaging can be used to detect whether the abducens nerve is present.
Congenital dSMA has a relatively stable disease course, with disability mainly attributed to increased contractures rather than loss of muscle strength. Individuals frequently use crutches, knee, ankle, and/or foot orthoses, or wheelchairs. Orthopaedic surgery can be an option for some patients with severely impaired movement. Physical therapy and occupational therapy can help prevent further contractures from occurring, though they do not reverse the effects of preexisting ones. Some literature suggests the use of electrical stimulation or botulinum toxin to halt the progression of contractures.
Practical surgical procedures used for treating synkinesis are neurolysis and selective myectomy. Neurolysis has been shown to be effective in relieving synkinesis but only temporarily and unfortunately symptoms return much worse than originally. Selective myectomy, in which a synkinetic muscle is selectively resected, is a much more effective technique that can provide permanent relief and results in a low recurrence rate; unfortunately, it also has many post-operative complications that can accompany including edema, hematoma, and ecchymosis. Therefore, surgical procedures are very minimally used by doctors and are used only as last-resort options for patients who do not respond well to non-invasive treatments.
Some cases of myotonia congenita do not require treatment, or it is determined that the risks of the medication outweigh the benefits. If necessary, however, symptoms of the disorder may be relieved with quinine, phenytoin, carbamazepine, mexiletine and other anticonvulsant drugs. Physical therapy and other rehabilitative measures may also be used to help muscle function. Genetic counseling is available.
Until May 2007, there was no clinical scale to measure synkinesis. A study led by Mehta et al. has validated the use of a newly designed instrument to evaluate facial synkinesis called the Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). The instrument, consisting of nine questions, was found to be both reliable and valid. In addition, it is simple, easy to administer, and inexpensive. Its analyses can allow for treatment options to be evaluated.
The term "hypotonia" comes from the Ancient Greek ὑπο- ("hypo-"), "under" and τόνος ("tónos"), from τείνω ("teinō"), "to stretch". Other terms for the condition include:
At present, treatment for 18p- is symptomatic, meaning that the focus is on treating the signs and symptoms of the conditions as they arise. To ensure early diagnosis and treatment, it is suggested that people with 18p- undergo routine screenings for hearing and vision problems.
Traditionally, genetic abnormalities in neurodevelopmental disorders were detected using karyotype analysis, which found 5% of relevant disorders. , chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has replaced karyotyping, because of its greater diagnostic yield in about 20% of cases, detecting smaller chromosome abnormalities. It is the first line genomic test.
New descriptions include the term Copy-number variants (CNVs), which are losses or gains of chromosomal regions greater than 1 kb in length. CNVs are mentioned with the chromosomal band(s) they involve and their genome sequence coordinates. CNVs can be nonrecurrent and recurrent.
With CMA costs of testing have increased from 800 US$ to 1500$. Guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend CMA as standard of care in the US.
There are a variety of standardized assessment scales available to physiotherapists and other health care professionals for use in the ongoing evaluation of the status of a patient’s hemiplegia. The use of standardized assessment scales may help physiotherapists and other health care professionals during the course of their treatment plant to:
- Prioritize treatment interventions based on specific identifiable motor and sensory deficits
- Create appropriate short- and long-term goals for treatment based on the outcome of the scales, their professional expertise and the desires of the patient
- Evaluate the potential burden of care and monitor any changes based on either improving or declining scores
Some of the most commonly used scales in the assessment of hemiplegia are:
- The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Physical Performance (FMA)
The FMA is often used as a measure of functional or physical impairment following a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). It measures sensory and motor impairment of the upper and lower extremities, balance in several positions, range of motion, and pain. This test is a reliable and valid measure in measuring post-stroke impairments related to stroke recovery. A lower score in each component of the test indicates higher impairment and a lower functional level for that area. The maximum score for each component is 66 for the upper extremities, 34 for the lower extremities, and 14 for balance. Administration of the FMA should be done after reviewing a training manual.
- The Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA)
This test is a reliable measure of two separate components evaluating both motor impairment and disability. The disability component assesses any changes in physical function including gross motor function and walking ability. The disability inventory can have a maximum score of 100 with 70 from the gross motor index and 30 from the walking index. Each task in this inventory has a maximum score of seven except for the 2 minute walk test which is out of two. The impairment component of the test evaluates the upper and lower extremities, postural control and pain. The impairment inventory focuses on the seven stages of recovery from stroke from flaccid paralysis to normal motor functioning. A training workshop is recommended if the measure is being utilized for the purpose of data collection.
- The Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement (STREAM)
The STREAM consists of 30 test items involving upper-limb movements, lower-limb movements, and basic mobility items. It is a clinical measure of voluntary movements and general mobility (rolling, bridging, sit-to-stand, standing, stepping, walking and stairs) following a stroke. The voluntary movement part of the assessment is measured using a 3-point ordinal scale (unable to perform, partial performance, and complete performance) and the mobility part of the assessment uses a 4-point ordinal scale (unable, partial, complete with aid, complete no aid). The maximum score one can receive on the STREAM is a 70 (20 for each limb score and 30 for mobility score). The higher the score, the better movement and mobility is available for the individual being scored.
Prognosis depends on the severity of the disorder. Recognizing symptoms early can help reduce the risk of self-injury, which can be lessened with meditations. Stereotypic movement disorder due to head trauma may be permanent.
Although not necessary for the diagnosis, individuals with intellectual disability are at higher risk for SMD. It is more common in boys, and can occur at any age.
The approach to diagnosing the cause of hypotonia (as with all syndromes in neurology) is first localization. The physician must first determine if the hypotonia is due to muscle, neuromuscular junction, nerve, or central cause. This will narrow the possible causes. If the cause of the hypotonia is found to lie in the brain, then it can be classified as a cerebral palsy. If the cause is localized to the muscles, it can be classified as a muscular dystrophy. If the cause is thought to be in the nerves, it is call hypotonia due to polyneuropathy. Many cases cannot be definitively diagnosed.
Diagnosing a patient includes obtaining family medical history and a physical examination, and may include such additional tests as computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, electroencephalogram (EEG), blood tests, genetic testing (such as chromosome karyotyping and tests for specific gene abnormalities), spinal taps, electromyography muscle tests, or muscle and nerve biopsy.
Mild or benign hypotonia is often diagnosed by physical and occupational therapists through a series of exercises designed to assess developmental progress, or observation of physical interactions. Since a hypotonic child has difficulty deciphering his spatial location, he may have some recognizable coping mechanisms, such as locking the knees while attempting to walk. A common sign of low-tone infants is a tendency to observe the physical activity of those around them for a long time before attempting to imitate, due to frustration over early failures. Developmental delay can indicate hypotonia.
Hemiplegia is not a progressive disorder, except in progressive conditions like a growing brain tumour. Once the injury has occurred, the symptoms should not worsen. However, because of lack of mobility, other complications can occur. Complications may include muscle and joint stiffness, loss of aerobic fitness, muscle spasms, bed sores, pressure ulcers and blood clots.
Sudden recovery from hemiplegia is very rare. Many of the individuals will have limited recovery, but the majority will improve from intensive, specialised rehabilitation. Potential to progress may differ in cerebral palsy, compared to adult acquired brain injury. It is vital to integrate the hemiplegic child into society and encourage them in their daily living activities. With time, some individuals may make remarkable progress.