WEST SYNDROME IN NEONATES: NEUROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Abstract

West syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that mainly affects neonates and infants, characterized by infantile spasms, delayed psychomotor development and an abnormal electroencephalographic pattern called hypsarrhythmia. This syndrome can have different causes, such as brain malformations, infections, trauma, metabolic or genetic diseases, or be idiopathic. Objective: to analyze the methods and results of neurological assessment of newborns with West syndrome, as well as the factors associated with clinical outcome. Methodology: The methodology used was based on the PRISMA checklist, the databases consulted were PubMed, Scielo, Web of Science, using the following descriptors: “West syndrome”, “neonatal”, “neurological assessment”, “electroencephalography” and “prognosis ”. Articles published in the last 10 years were included, which addressed the neurological assessment of newborns with West syndrome, which used standardized and validated methods, which presented quantitative data and which were available in full in English or Portuguese. Articles that did not specifically refer to West syndrome, that did not include newborns in the sample, that did not perform neurological evaluation or that were literature reviews, case reports or letters to the editor were excluded. Results: 12 articles were selected. The incidence of West syndrome varies between 0.16 and 0.42 per 1000 live births, being more common in boys than in girls. The most common cause of West syndrome is perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, followed by brain malformations, congenital infections, genetic syndromes and other less frequent etiologies. The neurological evaluation of newborns with West syndrome involves detailed anamnesis, physical and neurological examination, additional tests such as electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) of the skull, laboratory tests and genetic tests. . Conclusion: The conclusion of this systematic literature review is that West syndrome is a serious neurological condition that requires an early and comprehensive neurological assessment of affected neonates in order to establish the correct diagnosis, etiology, treatment and prognosis of the disease. . Neurological assessment involves several methods and exams that must be carried out by trained and experienced professionals.