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Clinical manifestations in children and adolescents with corpus callosum abnormalities

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Abstract

Corpus callosum abnormality (CCA) outcomes are quite unpredictable and variable, from asymptomatic forms to mild or severe neurodevelopment disorders. The aim of this study was to examine clinical outcomes in CCA patients. The study included 61 children and adolescents in whom brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showed CCA, isolated or associated to other central nervous system lesions. All patients underwent anamnesis, physical and neurological examination, routine laboratory tests, electroencephalogram (EEG), and MRI scans. In all participants, the intelligence quotient (IQ) was determined. We divided the participants into two subgroups: the first subgroup included patients with an isolated CCA, and the second subgroup included patients with CCA associated with extra-callosal brain lesions (complex CCA). We found that CCA were associated with elevated frequency to intellectual disability (ID), other neurodevelopment disorders, epilepsy, and isolated EEG anomalies. Mild ID (p = 0.003) was more frequent in the isolated subgroup, while epilepsy (p = 0.036) and pre-perinatal risk factors (p = 0.023) were more frequent in the complex CCA subgroup. Although the role of the CC in the interhemispheric communication is known, neurological and neurodevelopment outcomes of CCA are extremely variable and unpredictable. The presence of extra-callosal brain anomalies is one of the major prognostic factor, and probably, they have an important impact on the clinical outcome.

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Abbreviations

ACC:

Agenesis of the corpus callosum

ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ASD:

Autism spectrum disorders

CC:

Corpus callosum

CCA:

Corpus callosum abnormalities

DTI:

Diffusion tensor imaging

EEG:

Electroencephalogram

HCC:

Hypoplasia of the corpus callosum

ID:

Intellectual disability

IQ:

Intelligence quotient

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

pACC:

Partial agenesis of the corpus callosum

PCA:

Post-conceptional age

tACC:

Total agenesis of the corpus callosum

WISC-IV:

Wechsler intelligence scale for children–fourth edition, Italian version

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Acknowledgments

We thank the families for their contribution to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, Bari, Italy

    Lucia Margari, Roberto Palumbi, Maria Gloria Campa, Francesca Felicia Operto, Maura Buttiglione & Francesco Craig

  2. Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy

    Sara Matricardi

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Alberto Verrotti

Authors
  1. Lucia Margari
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  2. Roberto Palumbi
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  3. Maria Gloria Campa
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  4. Francesca Felicia Operto
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  5. Maura Buttiglione
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  6. Francesco Craig
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  7. Sara Matricardi
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  8. Alberto Verrotti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucia Margari.

Ethics declarations

This study was approved by the Local Ethic Committee of Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico of Bari, all children were recruited after obtaining written informed consent by their parents; in addition, informed consent was also obtained from the patients who could understand the content and aim of study.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Funding

No fundings were provided for this study. The authors declare that they have no financial relationship with any sponsoring organization.

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Margari, L., Palumbi, R., Campa, M.G. et al. Clinical manifestations in children and adolescents with corpus callosum abnormalities. J Neurol 263, 1939–1945 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-016-8225-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-016-8225-x

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