INFANTILE SPASM

Course overview

INFANTILE SPASMS ARE SPASMS THAT OCCUR IN INFANCY OR EARLY CHILDHOOD. THEY ARE CLASSICALLY CHARACTERIZED BY SYMMETRIC, BRIEF JERKING SPELLS THAT INVOLVE THE HEAD, NECK, ARMS, LEGS, AND ABDOMEN AND MAY CONSIST OF FLEXION, EXTENSION, OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH. INFANTILE SPASMS OFTEN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HYPSARRHYTHMIA, A PATTERN SEEN ON ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM. WHEN THE TRIAD OF INFANTILE SPASMS, HYPSARRHYTHMIA, AND DEVELOPMENTAL REGRESSION OCCUR TOGETHER, THIS TRIAD IS TERMED WEST SYNDROME. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF INFANTILE SPASM AND WEST SYNDROME AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE PROCESS.