title: Alternating hemiplegia of childhood in chinese following long-term treatment with flunarizine or topiramate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare and intractable disorder. The etiology and standard therapy of AHC remain unknown. The long-term effects of flunarizine or topiramate on patients with AHC are still not clear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients were investigated in this study. Their neurological disturbance and mental retardation after drug therapy were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine patients treated with flunarizine therapy and three children with topimarate treatment presented with shorter duration or less frequency of the hemiplegic attacks. These drug responsive patients also showed improvements on neurological disturbance including eye movement disorder, choreoathetotic movements, dystonia, and ataxia. However, seizure episodes and cognitive impairments were not alleviated in AHC with long-term drug therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from the present study support flunarizine or topitamate as the rational treatment for AHC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ling-yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Xiu-he
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xue-wu
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wen-jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhao-fu
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Sheng-jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005632:Fructose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000077236:Topiramate
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077236:Topiramate; D005632:Fructose; D005444:Flunarizine