Assessment of Ventricular Size and Neurocognitive Outcomes in Children with Post-natal Closure of Myelomeningocele.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if ventricular size prior to shunting is correlated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with post-natal myelomeningocele closure. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective review of children with post-natal surgical closure of myelomeningocele and neuropsychological testing between 2018 through 2023 at UCSF. Frontal-occipital horn ratio (FOHR) was measured immediately prior to shunt placement, or on the first study that reported ventricular stability for non-shunted patients. The primary outcome was full scale IQ (FSIQ) on the Weschler Intelligence Scale. Secondary outcomes included indices of the Weschler scale, the Global Executive Composite from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and the General Adaptive Composite from the Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scale. Uni- and multi-variable regression was used to determine if FOHR was correlated with neuropsychological scores. RESULTS: Forty patients met inclusion criteria; 26 (65%) had shunted hydrocephalus. Age at neuropsychological testing was 10.9+/-0.6 years. FOHR was greater in the shunted group (0.64 vs 0.51, p<0.001). There were no differences in neuropsychological results between shunted and non-shunted groups. On univariable analysis, greater FOHR was associated with lower FSIQ (p=0.025) and lower Visual Spatial Index scores (p=0.013), which remained significant on multivariable analysis after adjusting for gestational age at birth, lesion level, shunt status, and shunt revision status (p=0.049 and p=0.006, respectively). Separate analyses by shunt status revealed that these effects were driven by the shunted group. CONCLUSION: Greater FOHR prior to shunting was correlated with lower FSIQ and the VSI scores on the Weschler Intelligence Scales. Larger studies will be needed to explore further the relationship between ventricle size, hydrocephalus, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Management of neurogenic bladder in patients with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive injury of the brain that affects muscle movement and coordination secondary to anoxia that occurred during the perinatal period. Babies who are premature, low birth weight, and those who sustained perinatal infection, seizure, or intracranial hemorrhage are at an increase risk of being affected. The injury mainly involves the motor control center of the brain; therefore, presents clinically with variable physical impairments, ranging from delayed gross or fine motor development to altered muscle tone and gait. With public awareness and research, the full spectrum of intelligence and capabilities of these children is now being appreciated. Studies have shown that with supportive caretakers, many of these children go on to enjoy near-normal adult lives. Therefore, it is imperative that their physical disabilities are identified and managed properly. In this review, we will focus primarily on urologic evaluation and management of patients with CP, with a brief review of normal bladder physiology and voiding pattern.