Objective:To explore the characteristics of the brain functional networks in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) while at rest and to correlate them with motor functioning.Methods:Thirty-six children with SCP were enrolled as the SCP group, while thirty-four age-matched healthy children were recruited as the control group (the HC group). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to detect changes in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the children′s cerebral cortex while at rest. The left prefrontal cortex (LPFC), right prefrontal cortex (RPFC), left motor cortex (LMC), and right motor cortex (RMC) were selected as regions of interest. Phase locking values (PLVs) were used to evaluate the strength of functional connectivity (FC) among these brain regions, and graph theory methods were applied to analyze the topological properties of the brain networks. Motor functioning was assessed using the gross motor function measure (GMFM).Results:The analyses of FC strength revealed that the SCP group had significantly weaker FC among all of the regions of interest while at rest compared to the HC group. Their PLVs for LPFC-RPFC, LPFC-RMC, RPFC-RMC and LMC-RMC connectivity were all significantly smaller. Graph theory analysis showed that the SCP group had significantly lower global efficiency (GE) and smaller clustering coefficients (CCs) and network density (D), while their characteristic path lengths were significantly longer. According to the correlation analysis, the PLVs for LMC-RMC connections in the SCP group were positively correlated with their scores on dimensions D and E of the GMFM ( r=0.496 and r=0.579 respectively). GE ( r=0.587 and r=0.642) and CC ( r=0.318 and r=0.759) showed similar significant positive correlations with GMFM dimensions D and E. Conclusions:At rest, the functional networks in the brains of children with SCP exhibit abnormalities closely associated with their motor dysfunction.

Objective:To investigate the improvement in nutritional indicators, clinical complications, and respiratory infections among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and malnutrition who meet the indications for tube feeding under oral feeding and tube feeding interventions.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, 82 children with CP and malnutrition that met the indications for tube feeding from the Children′s Rehabilitation Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2022 to April 2024 were included.These patients were divided into an oral feeding group and a tube feeding group.The t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze nutritional indices such as weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), height/length-for-age Z-score (HAZ), and weight-for-height/length Z-score (WHZ) before and after intervention in both groups.The improvement in clinical complications and respiratory infections was also analyzed. Results:After 3-month nutritional intervention, there were 60 cases in the oral feeding group and 22 cases in the tube feeding group.The tube feeding group showed better improvement in WHZ [-0.23(-1.79, 0.88) vs.-1.62(-2.02, -0.91) ] than the oral feeding group ( P<0.05).After 6-month nutritional intervention, there were 50 cases in the oral feeding group and 16 cases in the tube feeding group.The tube feeding group showed better improvement in WAZ [-0.80(-1.92, -0.42) vs. -2.26(-2.88, -1.84)], HAZ (-1.31±1.23 vs. -2.32±1.19), and WHZ (-0.74±1.39 vs. -1.58±1.03) than the oral feeding group (all P<0.05).After 12-month nutritional intervention, there were 30 cases in the oral feeding group and 10 cases in the tube feeding group.The tube feeding group showed better improvement in WAZ [-1.06(-1.77, -0.88) vs.-2.25(-3.06, -1.47) ] and HAZ (-1.22±1.63 vs. -2.54±1.50) than the oral feeding group (all P<0.05).Clinical complications improved better in the tube feeding group than those in the oral feeding group.In the tube feeding group, significant differences in choking ( χ2=16.29, P=0.001) and vomiting ( χ2=6.81, P=0.013) were observed before and after nutritional intervention.There was a statistically significant difference in frequency of lower respiratory infections 3 and 6 months after nutritional intervention between the 2 groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with oral feeding, tube feeding can effectively improve the clinical nutritional indicators and reduce the clinical complications and the risk of respiratory infections in CP children that meet the indications for tube feeding.

Objective:To investigate the improvement in nutritional indicators, clinical complications, and respiratory infections among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and malnutrition who meet the indications for tube feeding under oral feeding and tube feeding interventions.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, 82 children with CP and malnutrition that met the indications for tube feeding from the Children′s Rehabilitation Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2022 to April 2024 were included.These patients were divided into an oral feeding group and a tube feeding group.The t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze nutritional indices such as weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), height/length-for-age Z-score (HAZ), and weight-for-height/length Z-score (WHZ) before and after intervention in both groups.The improvement in clinical complications and respiratory infections was also analyzed. Results:After 3-month nutritional intervention, there were 60 cases in the oral feeding group and 22 cases in the tube feeding group.The tube feeding group showed better improvement in WHZ [-0.23(-1.79, 0.88) vs.-1.62(-2.02, -0.91) ] than the oral feeding group ( P<0.05).After 6-month nutritional intervention, there were 50 cases in the oral feeding group and 16 cases in the tube feeding group.The tube feeding group showed better improvement in WAZ [-0.80(-1.92, -0.42) vs. -2.26(-2.88, -1.84)], HAZ (-1.31±1.23 vs. -2.32±1.19), and WHZ (-0.74±1.39 vs. -1.58±1.03) than the oral feeding group (all P<0.05).After 12-month nutritional intervention, there were 30 cases in the oral feeding group and 10 cases in the tube feeding group.The tube feeding group showed better improvement in WAZ [-1.06(-1.77, -0.88) vs.-2.25(-3.06, -1.47) ] and HAZ (-1.22±1.63 vs. -2.54±1.50) than the oral feeding group (all P<0.05).Clinical complications improved better in the tube feeding group than those in the oral feeding group.In the tube feeding group, significant differences in choking ( χ2=16.29, P=0.001) and vomiting ( χ2=6.81, P=0.013) were observed before and after nutritional intervention.There was a statistically significant difference in frequency of lower respiratory infections 3 and 6 months after nutritional intervention between the 2 groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with oral feeding, tube feeding can effectively improve the clinical nutritional indicators and reduce the clinical complications and the risk of respiratory infections in CP children that meet the indications for tube feeding.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of the brain functional networks in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) while at rest and to correlate them with motor functioning.Methods:Thirty-six children with SCP were enrolled as the SCP group, while thirty-four age-matched healthy children were recruited as the control group (the HC group). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to detect changes in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the children′s cerebral cortex while at rest. The left prefrontal cortex (LPFC), right prefrontal cortex (RPFC), left motor cortex (LMC), and right motor cortex (RMC) were selected as regions of interest. Phase locking values (PLVs) were used to evaluate the strength of functional connectivity (FC) among these brain regions, and graph theory methods were applied to analyze the topological properties of the brain networks. Motor functioning was assessed using the gross motor function measure (GMFM).Results:The analyses of FC strength revealed that the SCP group had significantly weaker FC among all of the regions of interest while at rest compared to the HC group. Their PLVs for LPFC-RPFC, LPFC-RMC, RPFC-RMC and LMC-RMC connectivity were all significantly smaller. Graph theory analysis showed that the SCP group had significantly lower global efficiency (GE) and smaller clustering coefficients (CCs) and network density (D), while their characteristic path lengths were significantly longer. According to the correlation analysis, the PLVs for LMC-RMC connections in the SCP group were positively correlated with their scores on dimensions D and E of the GMFM ( r=0.496 and r=0.579 respectively). GE ( r=0.587 and r=0.642) and CC ( r=0.318 and r=0.759) showed similar significant positive correlations with GMFM dimensions D and E. Conclusions:At rest, the functional networks in the brains of children with SCP exhibit abnormalities closely associated with their motor dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of a child with Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). METHODS: A child with HSP who was admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University on August 10, 2020 due to discovery of tiptoeing for 2 years was selected as the study subject, and relevant clinical data was collected. Peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents were collected for the extraction of genomic DNA. And trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) was carried out. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Bioinformatic software was used to analyze the conservation of variant sites. RESULTS: The child was a 2-year-and-10-month-old female with clinical manifestations including increased muscle tone of lower limbs, pointed feet, and cognitive language delay. Trio-WES results showed that she had harbored compound heterozygous variants of c.865C>T (p.Gln289*) and c.1126G>A (p.Glu376Lys) of the CYP2U1 gene. And the corresponding amino acid for c.1126G>A (p.Glu376Lys) is highly conserved among various species. Based on guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the c.865C>T was predicted as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting), and c.1126G>A was rated as a variant of uncertain significance (PM2_Supporting+PM3+PP3). CONCLUSION The child was diagnosed with HSP type 56 due to compound variants of the CYP2U1 gene. Above findings have enriched the mutation spectrum of the CYP2U1 gene.
Female ; Humans ; Cytochrome P450 Family 2/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary/genetics* ; Infant

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a EAST/SeSAME syndrome child featuring epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness and intellectual disability. METHODS: A child with EAST/SeSAME syndrome who had presented at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in January 2021 was selected as the study object. Peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents were collected and subjected to whole exome sequencing. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Genetic testing revealed that the child has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the KCNJ10 gene, namely c.557T>C (p.Val186Ala) and c.386T>A (p.Ile129Asn), which were inherited from her mother and father, respectively. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), both variants were predicted as likely pathogenic (PM1+PM2_Supporting+PP3+PP4; PM1+PM2_Supporting+PM3+PP3+PP4). CONCLUSION The patient was diagnosed with EAST/SeSAME syndrome due to the compound heterozygous variants of the KCNJ10 gene.
Humans ; Child ; Female ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Ataxia ; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked ; Mutation

Objective:To explore the scheme of assigning rational scores to the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool for children with cerebral palsy(CP) at different Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS) levels.Methods:The clinical data of 360 children with CP hospitalized in the Department of Children′s Rehabilitation, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January to October 2019 were analyzed retrospectively.All the CP children at different GMFCS levels who met the inclusion criteria were subject to nutrition screening and assessment by using the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool and the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment(SGNA) scale.The distribution of malnutrition rates assessed by the SGNA scale among the children at different GMFCS levels was examined.Data between groups were compared by the χ2 test.Children at different GMFCS levels were divided into different subgroups according to the statistical difference.Then, 0 or 1 score was assigned to the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool in different subgroups, and different combinations were formed.The nutritional risk screening results of different combinations were evaluated by using the SGNA scale assessment results as a reference. Results:In children with CP, the risk detection rate and incidence rate of malnutrition were 58.1%(209/360) and 36.9%(133/360), respectively.There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of malnutrition between GMFCS Ⅱ and GMFCS Ⅲ, as well as between GMFCS Ⅳ and GMFCS Ⅴ(all P>0.05). Therefore, children with CP were divided into 3 subgroups, namely, group Ⅰ, group Ⅱ to Ⅲ, and group Ⅳ to Ⅴ.Different CP disease scores were given to the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool in 3 subgroups, forming 3 different protocols[protocol 1 (0, 0, 1 point); protocol 2(0, 1, 1 point); current protocol (1, 1, 1 point)]. Taking the SGNA scale assessment results as a reference, the sensitivity of protocol 1, protocol 2 and current protocol were 85.7%, 92.5%, and 93.2% respectively.The specificity protocol 1, protocol 2 and current protocol were 81.1%, 78.0%, and 62.6%, respectively.And the Youden indexes of above three protocols were 0.668, 0.705, and 0.558, respectively.The Youden index of protocol 2 was relatively high. Conclusions:The Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool can effectively identify the risk of malnutrition in children with CP.The scheme of assigning 0 points to children with GMFCS grade Ⅰ and 1 point to children with GMFCS grade Ⅱ to Ⅴ is more reasonable.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of resting energy expenditure (REE) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) graded with different levels of Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and to evaluate the accuracy and association of commonly used REE prediction formulas in children with CP.Methods:It was a retrospective study involving 36 children with CP aged 24-144 months who visited the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between September 2021 and August 2022.REE was measured by the indirect calorimetry.Based on the GMFCS, children with CP were divided into grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ group (20 cases), grade Ⅲ group (6 cases) and grade Ⅳ-Ⅴ group(10 cases). During the same period, 11 age-matched healthy children were included in control group.The measured REE (MREE) between children with CP and healthy controls was compared.Predicted REE (PREE) calculated by the Harris-Benedict, WHO, Schofield-W, Schofield-WH and Oxford prediction formulas were compared with MREE in children for their consistency and correlation.Independent samples were analyzed using t-test or Mann- Whitney U test, and categorical data were analyzed using Chi- square test.Using paired t-test and Pearson linear correlation analysis to analyze the correlation between MREE and PREE.The accuracy of PREE values calculated by different formulas was assessed using the root mean square error. Results:The MREE in control group and children with CP were (952.18±270.56) kcal/d and (801.81±201.89) kcal/d, respectively.There was no significant difference in the MREE between grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ group versus control group[(868.30±194.81) kcal/d vs.(952.18±270.56) kcal/d, P>0.05], and grade Ⅲ group versus control group [(813.17±192.48) kcal/d vs.(952.18±270.56) kcal/d, P>0.05]. The MREE was significantly lower in grade Ⅳ-Ⅴ group than that of control group [666.00(513.50, 775.50) kcal/d vs.(952.18±270.56) kcal/d, P=0.011]. There were no significant difference between MREE and PREEs calculated by Harris-Benedict, WHO, Schofield-W, Schofield-WH, and Oxford (all P>0.05). The correct classification fraction calculated by the 5 formulas were 33.3%, 47.2%, 41.7%, 47.2%, and 41.7%, respectively.The r values of the consistency of PREE calculated by the 5 formulas were 0.585, 0.700, 0.703, 0.712, and 0.701, respectively.The Blande-Altman Limits of Agreement were (-297.77, 359.22), (-245.60, 326.94), (-250.62, 316.05), (-242.22, 177.36) and (-241.28, 325.81), respectively.The clinically acceptable range was -80.18 to 80.18 kcal/d.The root mean square error were 168.09 kcal/d, 149.64 kcal/d, 146.24 kcal/d, 144.23 kcal/d and 148.77 kcal/d, respectively. Conclusions:The MREE values decreased significantly in children with CP classified as CMFCS grade Ⅳ and Ⅴ.When REE cannot be regularly monitored by indirect calorimetry to develop nutritional support programs, children with CP may be prioritized to estimate REE using the prediction formula of Schofield-WH.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a child with Neurodevelopmental disorder with or without autistic features and/or structural brain abnormalities (NEDASB). METHODS: A child with NEDASB who presented at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in July 2021 was selected as the subject. Peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents were collected and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: The child was found to harbor a heterozygous c.820_828delinsCTTCA (p.Thr274Leufs*121) variant of the NOVA2 gene, for which both of her parents were of wild type. The variant was predicted as pathogenic based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. CONCLUSION The heterozygous c.820_828delinsCTTCA (p.Thr274Leufs*121) variant of the NOVA2 gene probably underlay the disease in this child. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of NOVA2 gene variants and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for this family.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Autistic Disorder/genetics* ; Brain ; Computational Biology ; Genetic Counseling ; Mutation ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Neuro-Oncological Ventral Antigen ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders ; RNA-Binding Proteins