Clinical efficacy of Flunarizine in treating alternating hemiplegia in children and the influencing factors / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effective rate of Flunarizine in treating alternating hemiplegia during childhood (AHC) kids,and to analyze the related factors influencing efficacy.Methods The clinical data and peripheral blood DNA of AHC patients at the Outpatient and Inpatient Ward of Department of Pediatrics,Peking University First Hospital from August 2005 to May 2016 were collected,and the A TP1A3 gene mutations were screened.Clinical efficacy of oral administration of Flunarizine for improving paroxysmal symptoms such as alternating hemiplegia in AHC patients was followed up.Results A total of 96 AHC patients were collected,and among them,75 cases received oral administration of flunarizine were followed up for 1-11 years.The age of last follow-up was 1-21 years old (the median age was 5 years old).Fifty of these 75 patients (66.7％) were improved,while 25 patients were not alleviated (33.3％).In 50 improved patients,43 patients (86.0％) reduced the frequency of hemiplegia attacks,28 patients (56.0％) reduced the duration,and 3 patients (6.0％) alleviated the severity.Univariate analysis between the effective group and ineffective group showed that differences in age of onset,age of initial treatment,dose and carrying D801N,E815K or G947R mutation of ATP1A3 gene were not statistically significant(all P ＞0.05).The findings by multivariate analysis indicated that age of onset,age of initial treatment,dose and carrying D801N,E815K or G947R mutation of ATP1A3 gene were not related to the efficacy of Flunarizine.Conclusion Flunarizine is effective for most AHC children,which can reduce the frequency of hemiplegia attacks,shorten the duration,and alleviate the severity of attacks.Age of onset,age of initial treatment,dose and carrying D801N,E815K or G947R mutation of gene A TP1A3 are not factors influencing efficacy.