Introduction. Late and inaccurate diagnosis of tension-type headache (TTH) leads to the lack of timely rational treatment. In children and adolescents with TTH, the role of comorbid disorders that affect the course of TTH and can contribute to their chronification is not sufficiently taken into account. Meanwhile, with timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of TTH in many children and adolescents, a significant improvement in the disease’s course and the prognosis is achieved, and clinical remission is possible. Considering the high prevalence of TTH among children and adolescents, the decline in their quality of life, and the high frequency of comorbid disorders, it is reasonable to develop effective methods of preventive treatment for TTH in this age group.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of monotherapy with γ-amino-β-phenyl butyric acid hydrochloride, amitriptyline, or breathing gymnastics (comparison group) indicated for two months as a preventive treatment of TTH in children and adolescents in the open randomized comparative study in three parallel groups of patients. 

Material and methods. In an open parallel study, 90 TTH patients aged 8–16 years were divided into three groups of 30 patients (each with 15 boys and 15 girls).

Results. Significant differences with the comparison group in the individual response to therapy were confirmed. According to the criterion of a 50% or more reduction in the average number of headache attacks per month in group 1 (γ-amino-β-phenyl butyric acid hydrochloride), the improvement was achieved in 56.7% of patients, in group 2 (amitriptyline) — in 73.3%, in the 3rd group (breathing gymnastics) — in 30%. According to a more strict criterion for reducing the average number of headache attacks per month by 75% or more, the response to therapy was observed in group 1 in 30%. In group 2 — in 23.3%, in group 3 — in 3.3% of patients. In groups 1 and 2, along with a significant decrease in the frequency, duration, and intensity of TTH attacks, a significant improvement in daily activity, a favorable effect on the manifestations of fatigue, anxiety disorders, and sleep disorders associated with TTH was demonstrated. 

The therapeutic efficacy of breathing gymnastics exercises complex was confirmed in the prevention of TTH with frequency, duration, and intensity reduction of TTH, and diminishing its impact on daily activity, a moderate decrease in manifestations of fatigue, anxiety disorders (by patients’ self-assessment), and improvement in sleep quality.

Introduction. Autism is a disorder characterized by social interaction disorders, social-emotional reciprocity, responses to other people’s emotions, social use of speech skills, lack of modulations of behavior under the social situation, and limited interest stereotypes. The comprehensive approach using medical and psychological correction with physical methods of influence provides the best result in treating and rehabilitating children with autism. The original study examined the effects of transcranial micro polarization (TCMP) on the dynamics of autistic disorders. TCMP is a modern treatment method consisting of a directed polarizing impact of a low-power DC on specific brain areas.

Materials and methods. There were observed 25 children aged from 2 years five months to 6 years with varying degrees of severity of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). For the study, three groups were identified according to the corresponding clinical diagnoses: Childhood autism, Atypical autism, and Other general developmental disorders. The vast majority of children from the first two groups had an intellectual disability of varying severity. The TCMP method was used to assess the technique’s effectiveness, the CARS diagnostic scale and the ATEK test. 

Results. At the end of the course, with the use of TCMP in all the analyzed groups, there was a shift towards a milder degree of autistic disorders. The most significant positive effect was recorded in children with mild forms of autism in the group of other general developmental disorders due to the initially higher level of development in this group. 

Conclusion. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of TCMP in ASD children. According to the results of the study, the positive effect of this method was revealed in the form of reducing the severity of autistic disorders. 

Introduction. MRI revealing the epileptogenic foci is the central part of the presurgical evaluation of children with focal-resistant epilepsy. Besides that, MRI seems to be a reliable instrument of treatment optimization and good prognosis.

Aim. To identify epileptogenic lesions in children with resistant focal epilepsy by high resolution (HR) MRI and comparing obtained data with postsurgical morphology.

Materials and methods. We assessed the results of neuroimaging, EEG, clinical neurological status, and postsurgical morphological data in 65 children with focal epilepsy who had undergone antiepileptic surgery in Russian State Children Hospital, neurosurgery department (Moscow, Russia) from 2016 to 2020. 

Results. The broad spectrum of epileptogenic lesions was revealed by HR MRI, including focal and diffuse cortical dysplasias (44.6%), cortical post hypoxic gliosis (27.7%), glial tumors (7.7%), Rasmussen encephalitis (10.8%), tuberous sclerosis, and Sturge–Weber syndrome (3%), small angiodysplasias (4.6%) and other. Focal cerebral dysplasia had an obvious superiority as the main etiological factor in focal epilepsy and was approved in 33.8% of all patients. In all cases, epilepsy is characterized by frequent and resistant seizures, inflicting motor arrest, and psycho-emotional deterioration. 

Conclusion. HR MRI and multidisciplinary investigation have to be unchangeable standards in the presurgical evaluation of children with focal epilepsy. This approach’s effectiveness has reassuring confirmation by high level (95.2%) of total coincidence MRI and morphological results.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive degenerative neuromuscular disorder due to a deficiency of dystrophin protein. This protein is most common in skeletal and cardiac muscles, to a lesser extent in smooth muscles and the brain. With DMD, progressive damage and muscle degeneration, a delay in motor development, and respiratory cardiac disorders are progressing. Patients with DMD have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, fractures of the tubular bones and vertebrae, and neurocognitive impairment. Vitamin D is recommended prophylactically for DMD since many studies have shown its deficiency.

The purpose of this work is to consolidate the literature data on the vitamin D deficiency in DMD patients and its effects on the development of concurrent comorbid conditions of the musculoskeletal, endocrine, and nervous systems. 

The authors discuss data concerning the appropriate level of vitamin D throughout the life span of DMD has a positive effect on the course of the disease patients’ quality of life ends. Primary clinical outcomes of vitamin D normalization include prevention of the development of osteoporosis (especially after the start of steroid therapy), fractures of the tubular bones and vertebrae, prolonged ability to walk, more effective treatment with bisphosphonates, including a decrease in the number of complications during initial use and lower jaw necrosis, positive effect on the expression of autistic spectrum symptoms. For patients with long-term steroid therapy, metabolic and liver disorders, calcidiol could be used, allowing quick deficiency compensation instead of standard vitamin D preparations.

Cerebral palsy (CP) represents a heterogeneous group of non-progressive disorders of motor development and posture control, leading to activity limitation due to disturbances in a fetal or infant’s developing brain. In CP, motor impairment is often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication, perception, and (or) behavior, and (or) by a seizure disorder. Despite profound knowledge of the CP risk factors, in many patients, the latter cannot be identified, and the neuroimaging features of the brain injury may also be absent. Those patients, at least in part, can include children with undiagnosed genetic phenocopies of the CP.

Literature search was performed using Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed (MEDLINE), and eLibrary databases. In the review, we briefly touch upon the current understanding of CP’s risk factors and pathophysiology. Common neuroimaging findings typical for CP subtypes are presented. We then discuss the role of genetic factors that can lead to the development of CP phenocopies, briefly describing their phenotypic subtypes and some of the specific diseases. Clinical and neuroimaging «red flags» that can prompt a diagnostic search for genetic disorders are reviewed. The role of modern genetic testing techniques, including high-throughput sequencing, in diagnosing CP phenocopies is described. We present a general diagnostic approach to suspected genetic CP phenocopies. Early identification of the pediatric population’s genetic conditions can affect the individual and family prognosis and the patient’s management.