NEUROPHYSIOLOGY PARAMETERS IN DIAGNOSTICS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND ACUTE DISSEMINATED ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN CHILDREN

Our research objective was to evaluate the importance of neurophysiological methods in diagnosing the state of visual, somatosensory and motor pathways condition in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in children.

Materials and methods. Twenty-four children with a debut of multiple sclerosis, 15 children with debute of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and 20 neurologically healthy children of the comparison group were examined. All patients were evaluated by neurologist, brain MRI and CSF analysis (isoelectrofocusing to oligoclonal IgG, oligoclonal bands test), visual evoked potentials (VEP), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP).

Results. In children with MS asymmetry of the conduction along the motor pathways on the spinal level was higher than in patients with ADEM and controls, functional state of somatosensory cortex neurons was lower and conduction along somatosensory pathways on the spinal level was slower – all differences significant. According to the visual evoked potentials, in more than half of the cases, there was an increase in the latency of the P100 peak. Also in MS group there was a significant disruption of the visual pathway in 54% of the cases. Neurophysiological changes in 58% of cases were demyelinating, and violations of the axonal type occurred in 37% of cases.

Conclusions. Neurophysiological diagnostic methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, visual evoked potentials, somatosensory evoked potentials are highly informative for the differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. More pronounced spinal lesions in early stages of MS than in ADEM in children may be the cause of the neurophysiologic differences, and prevalence of the sensory system involvement at this stage may be the reason behind more extended SSEP abnormalities comparing with TMS. VEP changes may reflect primary demyelinating course of the disease on the early stages of MS. VEP, SSEP and TMS may be recommended as standard way of evaluation and diagnostic of ADEM and MS in children. 

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