title: Clinical features of nine patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define clinical features of patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the clinical presentation and course of the disease in patients diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2008 at the Pediatric Neurology Department of the Istanbul Medical Faculty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nine patients had a mean age of 6.6 months (2-15 months) at the onset of symptoms. Paroxysmal eye movements were the early symptom of five patients. All patients had recurrent alternating hemiplegic episodes and relief of symptoms while sleeping. Duration of events varied widely from few minutes to several days and was associated with slowly progressive neurological deterioration. Flunarizine might decrease frequency of events but is not effective to neurological deterioration. Amantadine as an alternative agent is used in add-on therapy, but epileptogenic side effect prevented the evaluation of long-term efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trials on new agents like amantadine are necessary for more effective control of the disease.
authors: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Burak
authors: B
authors: Tatlı
authors: Nur
authors: N
authors: Aydınlı
authors: Mine
authors: M
authors: Calışkan
authors: Meral
authors: M
authors: Ozmen
authors: Bülent
authors: B
authors: Kara
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Yaramış
authors: Cengiz
authors: C
authors: Dilber
authors: Kutluhan
authors: K
authors: Yılmaz
authors: Yasemin
authors: Y
authors: Küçükuğurluoğlu
authors: Barış
authors: B
authors: Ekici
mesh_terms: D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D000547:Amantadine; D005444:Flunarizine