Increasing focus on neuro care (CMT) for children

[Guest guest]

Increasing focus on neuro care for children

NT Bureau

Chennai, June 21:

A Prabhakar, industrialist, presenting a memento to Dr Vetta

Vedanarayanan, professor of pediatrics and neurology, University of

Mississippi Medical Centre, US, at the third Appa Rao Memorial endowment

oration in Chennai yesterday. Also seen are Dr Krishnamoorthy Srinivas,

chairman, K Gopalakrishna Neurology Department, VHS Medical Centre Dr N

S Murali, secretary,VHS and N Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu.

Inherited Polyneuropathies in children, a neuro-muscular disease, is

generally under-diagnosed but is a metabolic disorder which deteriorates

further with genetic mutations affecting nerve cells.

The most common form of such ailment is Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT)

disease that begins with progressive muscular atrophy involving feet and

legs first. It is being studied through new Genetic Expression Profiles

and other emerging techniques in genetics and molecular biology, said Dr

Vetta Vedanarayanan, professor of pediatrics and neurology, University

of Mississippi Medical Centre, US.

He was delivering the third Appa Rao endowment lecture instituted by the

Deepa Krishnan Child Neurodevelopment Centre of K Gopalakrishna

Department of Neurology, VHS Medical Centre, yesterday.

'Polyneuropathies in children have different, varying types which are

inflammatory, auto-immune, toxic and systemic in nature. CMT in

children, a most occurrence, is usually asymptomatic with neonatal onset

that involves variable progression of muscle weakness, sensory loss and

deformities,' he said.

Presenting a clinical and electrophysiological features of the CMT

disease, he said through growing experience in genetic techniques and

molecular biology attempts were being made to study the pattern of the

disease, how the cells were infected that resulted in progressive

neuro-muscular degeneration affecting the brain finally.

Earlier, Dr N S Murali, secretary, VHS Medical Centre, said the year was

being celebrated as the birth centenary of Dr K S Sanjivi, the founder

of VHS. The valedictory function would be held by December. Next month a

symposium on tuberculosis was being planned, followed by those on

community health and HIV/AIDS related diseases.

'The Department of Neurology under Prof Krishnamoorthy Srinivas has seen

increasing number of interaction with foreign physicians and symposia,

outshining other departments at the VHS,' he said.

He said the University of Madras has extended recognition for specialty

courses for medical students being conducted the neurology department.

N Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, said pursuit of excellence in

quality systems was no good when it was not balanced with accessibility,

especially in regard to community health care.

'VHS is one of its kind with focus on community health. As the recent

elections have shown, if you neglect the huge challenge of mass

deprivations in nutritional and health deficiency, no matter what hype

is created by the media, you are bound to lose,' he said.

Professor Krishnamoorthy Srinivas, chairman, K Gopalakrishna Department

of Neurology, VHS, said child neurology was a relatively new subject

even in the United States.

'As it is neurology is a difficult subject for doctors, patients and

public,' he said and added public support was needed to take forward the

activities of the neuro department.

The endowment lecture was part of the day-long National Neuropediatric

Symposium organised by the Neurosciences India Group (NSIG) with the

participation of around 200 pediatricians, general practitioners and

neurologists from the country.

The Deepa Krishnan Centre, which co-hosted the symposium with NSIG,

specialises in diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders

in children. A multidisciplinary team headed by Professor E S

Krishnamoorthy, a neuro-psychiatrist at VHS, provides holistic medical

care to the children by interacting with their parents.

'A single physician can't deal with the problems of neurological

disorders in children. A multidisciplinary team approach tailored to

children's needs are adopted by us to deal with problems like learning

disorders, memory loss, autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and mental

retardation,' said Dr E S Krishnamoorthy. Since inception in August last

year, the Deepa Krishnan Centre has assessed and managed over 250

children with neurological disorders, many from poorer sections of

society.