Neuropsychological profile of children after an episode of neuroborreliosis.
BACKGROUND
In the majority of patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), neurological symptoms are transient. The extent of neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric problems in children is not well researched.


OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to investigate cognitive functions and behavioral problems in children after LNB.


METHODS
A total of 20 children between 6 and 16 years of age with an episode of LNB at least 4 month before neuropsychological testing were enrolled in the study and compared with 20 healthy controls. Children with LNB had cranial nerve palsies or meningoencephalitis, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M antibodies for Borrelia burgdorferi in the peripheral blood, pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (leukocytes > 10 cells/μL) and/or an intrathecal synthesis of antibodies for B. burgdorferi.Neuropsychological tests assessing intellectual skills, memory, and executive functions were used. Two parental questionnaires assessing behavior, psychiatric problems, and executive functions were administered.


RESULTS
Intellectual skills, memory, and executive functions of children after an episode of LNB were within the normal range. In the subcategory of working memory, children after an episode of LNB performed worse than controls. The questionnaires did not reveal behavior or psychiatric problems, although there was a tendency that children after an episode of LNB had more physical complaints.


CONCLUSIONS
Neuropsychological deficits resulting from LNB in childhood are rare. Most children had a good cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcome.
Department of Pediatrics I, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Sibylle
S
Zotter
Johannes
J
Koch
Kurt
K
Schlachter
Susanne
S
Katzensteiner
Ludwig
L
Dorninger
Juergen
J
Brunner
Matthias
M
Baumann
Astrid
A
Wolf-Magele
Holger
H
Schmid
Hanno
H
Ulmer
Sonja
S
Hagspiel
Kevin
K
Rostasy
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020852:Lyme Neuroborreliosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires