neurologic disturbances in pregnancy

This case demonstrates a diagnostic dilemma regarding the management of seizures in the postnatal setting. It seeks to highlight the importance of a thorough exploration of history and risk factors for females presenting with seizures in the postpartum period to ensure appropriate treatment and workup. Preeclampsia (PET) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy affecting 2%-8% of pregnancies worldwide. Less than 1% of females with preeclampsia experience eclamptic seizures. However, they are associated with significant mortality and morbidity...

Thallium (Tl) is one of the most toxic metals and its historic use in homicides has led it to be known as "the poisoner's poison." This review summarizes the methods for identifying Tl and determining its concentrations in biological samples in recently reported poisoning cases, as well as the toxicokinetics, toxicological effects, toxicity mechanisms, and detoxication methods of Tl. Recent findings regarding Tl neurotoxicological pathways and toxicological effects of Tl during pregnancy are also presented...

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a prevalent pathogen, whose natural host and reservoir is the wild mouse. Humans can be infected when they contact the secretions of mice. Most infections of postnatal humans result in mild illness. However, the consequences can be severe when the infection occurs during pregnancy, as the virus crosses the placenta to infect the fetus. LCMV infection of the human fetus can lead to severe neuropathologic effects, including microencephaly, hydrocephalus, focal destructive lesions, and cerebellar hypoplasia...

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a distinctive and challenging neurological condition characterized by a constellation of symptoms, including altered mental status, seizures, headaches, and visual disturbances. It is often associated with abrupt increases in blood pressure or other underlying precipitating factors. While PRES has been recognized for its diverse clinical presentations, it remains an infrequent diagnosis, and its occurrence during pregnancy, especially in primigravida with multiple gestations, is rare...

Pregnancy and lactation are critical periods for human well-being and are sensitive windows for pollutant exposure. Bisphenol A (BPA) is well demonstrated as a toxicant and has been replaced in the plastic industry with other bisphenol analogs that share similarities in structure and characteristics, most commonly Bisphenol S (BPS) and Bisphenol F (BPF). Maternal exposure to BPS or BPF can result in their accumulation in the fetal compartment, leading to chronic exposure and potentially limiting normal fetal growth and development...

INTRODUCTION: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a demyelinating immune-mediated condition of the central nervous system, whereas antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA) is an autoimmune disorder accompanied by thrombosis and pregnancy-related problems. We present a unique case of a 30-year-old female with ADEM coexisting with APLA, highlighting the importance of early identification and specialized care. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a case of a 30-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, multiple miscarriages, and non-compliance with medication, who presented with altered consciousness and weakness in all four limbs...

BACKGROUND: Osteopetrosis is a rare disease characterized by systemic osteosclerosis and hematopoietic disturbances. Childhood-onset cases are often accompanied by hydrocephalus and craniosynostosis; however, there have been no established treatments. We performed cranial distraction in a child with osteopetrosis who presented with craniosynostosis and intracranial hypertension. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient was a 4-year-1-month-old boy. His pregnancy and birth were normal, but at 4 months of age, he was diagnosed with osteopetrosis based on generalized osteosclerosis and family history...

Guidelines for brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) determination were revised to provide a consistent and updated approach to BD/DNC evaluation across all ages by the American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pediatrics, Child Neurology Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine. This article is intended to complement the guidelines and highlight aspects relevant to the critical care community; the actual guidelines should be used to update hospital protocols and dictate clinical practice...

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare neuroradiological condition causing headaches, altered mental status, seizures, visual disturbances, and focal deficits. It is often associated with preeclampsia and eclampsia in pregnancy, but can also occur in patients with other medical conditions, such as hypertension, autoimmune diseases, renal dysfunction etc. This case report highlights the importance of recognizing PRES in postpartum patients with hypertension and the need for prompt diagnosis and management to prevent potential complications...

INTRODUCTION: Prolactinomas resulting in pituitary apoplexy are an uncommon obstetrical complication. The hemorrhage can cause compression and necrosis of the pituitary gland as well as the optic chiasm, necessitating surgical intervention. CASE: A 35-year-old woman, G0, presented for an infertility consult with a prior diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Evaluation for oligomenorrhea found an elevated prolactin level of 69.76 ng/mL, an elevated DHEA-S of 524, and HgbA1c of 5...

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a pandemic causing respiratory symptoms, taste alterations, olfactory disturbances, and cutaneous, cardiovascular, and neurological manifestations. Recently, research interest has shifted to reproductive health to understand the factors predisposing to COVID-19 infection in pregnancy, the consequences of the infection on the fetus and on the mother, and possible vertical transmission through the placenta. Pregnancy does not increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to studies...

INTRODUCTION: As the most common cause of autosomal recessive early onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD), parkin type Parkinson's disease (PRKN-PD) may affect female patients in childbearing age. Accordingly, issues related to fertility must be adequately addressed. Here, we landscaped fertile life factors and pregnancy course of a PRKN-PD cohort, including both novel cases directly observed at our center and published ones. METHODS: Six patients with confirmed PRKN-PD were examined by a structured interview on reproductive factors and associated modifications of PD disturbances, including one case followed up throughout pregnancy which was described in greater detail...

UNLABELLED: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a common condition that, if not detected and treated promptly, carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. CVST's most common aetiological associations are post-partum, pregnancy, and oral contraceptive pills. The purpose of this study was to look into the aetiology of CVST in Sudanese patients in neurological centres in Khartoum state. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional hospital bases study conducted on CVST patients at four neurological centres in Khartoum state in the period from March to October 2020...

Early and accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and tailored therapeutic interventions can improve prognosis. ADOS-2 is a standardized test for ASD diagnosis. However, owing to ASD heterogeneity, the presence of false positives remains a challenge for clinicians. In this study, retrospective data from patients with ASD and multi-systemic developmental disorder (MSDD), a term used to describe children under the age of 3 with impaired communication but with strong emotional attachments, were tested by machine learning (ML) models to assess the best predictors of disease development as well as the items that best describe these two autism spectrum disorder presentations...

Imprinting Disorders (ImpDis) are a group of congenital conditions caused by aberrant imprinting resulting in disturbed expression of parentally imprinted genes. ImpDis are rarely associated with major malformations, but pre- and/or postnatal growth and nutrition are often affected. In some ImpDis, behavioral, developmental, metabolic and neurological symptoms might present in the perinatal context or later in life, and in single ImpDis, there is a higher risk of tumors in childhood. Prognosis depends in part on the molecular cause of each ImpDis, but due to high clinical variability and (epi)genetic mosaicism, predicting the clinical outcome of a pregnancy solely based on the underlying molecular disturbance is difficult...

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) refers to fetal exposure to alcohol during pregnancy through placental barrier transfer from maternal blood. The postnatal outcomes of PAE differ among exposed individuals and range from overt (serious) alcohol-related behavioral and neurophysiological impairments to covert (silenced) symptoms. The aims of the present investigation were to assess the postnatal neurobehavioral disturbances, particularly, motor coordination and sensory-motor function in mice with PAE. Female mice with positive vaginal plugs were divided into three groups: group 1: Et + Pyr: received two i...

Preeclampsia (PE)-related reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is a common complication of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The syndrome usually occurs after 20 weeks of gestation and can lead to brain injury. Severe headache, seizures, disturbance of consciousness, and other neurological symptoms may occur in severe cases. PE-RPLS has high morbidity and mortality rates and seriously damages maternal and fetal health. In recent years, the continuous advancement of medical imaging technology has provided an important imaging basis for the early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of RPLS...

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are complications that can lead to maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are generally defined as hypertension and may be accompanied by other end organ damages including proteinuria, maternal organ disturbances including renal insufficiency, neurological complications, thrombocytopenia, impaired liver function, or uteroplacental dysfunction such as fetal growth restriction and stillbirth. Although the causes of these hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are multifactorial and elusive, they seem to share some common vascular-related mechanisms, including diseased spiral arteries, placental ischemia, and endothelial dysfunction...

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) resulting from hypertensive disease of pregnancy (HDP) leads to sexually dimorphic hippocampal-dependent cognitive and memory impairment in humans. In our translationally-relevant mouse model of IUGR incited by HDP, we have previously shown that the synaptic development in the dorsal hippocampus including GABAergic development, NPTX2+ excitatory synaptic formation, axonal myelination, and perineural net (PNN) formation, were perturbed by IUGR at adolescent equivalence in humans (P40)...

Maternal immune activation (MIA) can result from a variety of maternal inflammatory factors, including metabolic disorders, nutritional deficits, infections, and psychosocial stress. MIA has been consistently recognized as a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders, and this association seems to be especially important for viral infections, as viral exposure during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia. In MIA, the gestational parent's inflammatory response to an immune stimulus alters or interrupts fetal development, triggering neurodevelopmental consequences...