The human brain is increasingly seen as a dynamic neural system, the function of which relies on a diverse set of connections between brain regions. To assess these complex dynamical interactions, formalism of complex networks was suggested as one of the most promising tools to offer new insight into the brain's structural and functional organization, with a potential also for clinical implications. Irrespective of the brain mapping technique, modern network approaches have revealed fundamental aspects of normal brain-network organization, such as small-world and scale-free patterns, hierarchical modularity, and the presence of hubs. Moreover, the utility of these approaches, to gain a better understanding of neurological diseases, is of great interest. In the present contribution, we first describe the basic network measures and how the brain networks are constructed on the basis of brain activity data in order to introduce clinical neurologists to this new theoretical paradigm. We then demonstrate how network formalism can be used to detect changes in EEG-based functional connectivity patterns in six paediatric patients with childhood absence epilepsy. Notably, our results do not only indicate enhanced synchronicity during epileptic episodes but also reveal specific spatial changes in the electrical activity of the brain. We argue that the network-based evaluation of functional brain networks can provide clinicians with more detailed insight into the activity of a pathological brain and can also be regarded as a support for objective diagnosis and treatment for various neurological diseases.

The novel mutation, T279I detected in our patients, correlates with a specific phenotype with schizophrenia-like symptoms, neurological signs and cognitive impairment early in the course of the disease and a relatively fast progression towards dementia. This is in contrast to previous reports on adult metachromatic leukodystrophy patients with the psycho-cognitive phenotype who did not show any neurological signs for decades, however, most of these patients were heterozygous for another specific missense mutation, I179S.

No abstract

No abstract

Purpose: Polyneuritis cranialis (PNC) is a less known regional variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome and has rarely been described in children. Here, we report a case of an adolescent, who became perilously ill following severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 infection. Case report: A 15-year-old boy presented with acute multiple cranial nerve palsies. The presence of GQ1b antibodies and nerve conduction studies confirmed the diagnosis of PNC. The patient was treated with plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins, but clinical improvement was gradual and very slow. Conclusion: PNC is a rare and severe neurologic condition that can be triggered by coronavirus infection.