Tracie,
I am definitely not a neurologist. I wrote a research paper about five to ten years ago about head ultra sounds (HUS) and head MRI (HMRI). Moreover, I am studying to get a PhD in Physical therapy not neurology. With that being said; What I remember is....
There is a "newly" recognized problem in many kids with disabilities with the use of HMRI and HUS. This is noticing the different amounts of myelin around the nerves in the brain in children with and without disabilities. Myelin is a covering that surrounds the nerves in the brain, spinal cord and nerves to all the muscles in the body. If the nerves do not have this covering, then it makes it very difficult for the nerves to communicate with other nerves or with the rest of the body. If there is less myelin found using HMRI and HUS, then some researchers are beginning to question whether this can be an indication of the severity of delayed motor skill development or delayed cognitive development. However, this questioning is very NEW. More importantly, there are no reliability and validity studies done on the use of HMRI and HUS. This means that three different radiologists may read the HMRI and the HUS differently and those same radiologist may disagree in what portion of the brain or what structure of the brain has decreased myelination. So basically, I would encourage you to say to your son's doctor so what? This means what? Take what the doctor says with a small amount of respect or credence, but really focus on how your son is doing at home, in school and in therapy. What approaches work, what doesn't work and go from there in terms of helping your son grow, develop and learn. The HUS and HMRI results right now do not mean much when it come down to understanding decreased myelination and what it means.
Did my explanation make sense to you? If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them. Perhaps, Bobby's answer was better than mine....
Fortunately or Unfortunately, I did not write a paper about microcephaly so I will leave that topic alone except I know microcephaly means small brain....
Hope I helped some,
Greta
----- Original Message -----
From: BGreer<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 11:49 AM
Subject: Re: Mycrocephaly & Myelin ?
Tracie,
I can't speak to the microcephaly issue, but myelin sheaths are the
insulation around nerves. A delay in their development means a delay in the
maturation of the nervous system development.
Bobby
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracie Christianson" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
To: <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 7:08 AM
Subject: Mycrocephaly & Myelin ?
> Do any of your children have microcephaly as part of their diagnosis?
>
> I am wondering what having a child with microcephaly means to you. What
can you tell me about it? I haven't done very much research on the subject.
Do you know if by children having this, is it possible that it could be
linked to any other of their ongoing issues?
>
> I want you to know that I do understand that you are not a doctor before I
ask you this. On my son's last 2 MRI's the first one being at 7 months and
he is now 6 years old, it stated that the development of the myelin sheath
is delayed. Would this be something that anyone from the list would be
knowledgable about?
>
> Thanks,
> Tracie (Mom to Saje Cloud who is 6 years old and has CP, Epilepsy, G-J
tube fed, microcephaly, a VNS success story and the bright side of
everyone's day when he is around them)
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'
|
