Approximately one in every 2,800 babies are born with spina bifida each year. Spina bifida is related to multiple physical and neurological symptoms including hydrocephalus, which differs from its presentation in older adults. Today, John and Ryan talk with Christine Koterba, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, about spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and how neuropsychologists can contribute to the care of children with these disorders.
A pdf of the transcript for this episode is available here.
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Topics Covered
- Basic definition of hydrocephalus
- Hydrocephalus as a disconnection syndrome
- Basic definition of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and its prevalence across the lifespan
- Treatment for NPH
- Differentiating between atrophy in NPH and other neurodegenerative disorders
- Different types of NPH
- Distinctions between primary and secondary types of hydrocephalus
- Disorders related to hydrocephalus in pediatric populations
- Relationship of prematurity to intraventricular hemorrhage and hydrocephalus
- Basic definition of spina bifida as well as a review of different types
- Chiari malformation and its relationship with spina bifida
- Spina bifida and its relationship to paralysis and/or paresis
- The shunting process
- Neuroimaging tools used to diagnose hydrocephalus
- Characteristics of a prototypical referral for a child with hydrocephalus due to a medical condition such as spina bifida
- Typical neuropsychological examination of a child with hydrocephalus due to a medical condition such as spina bifida
- Social and emotional symptoms in hydrocephalus due to a medical condition such as spina bifida
- Resources to provide parents and patients
About Chrissie
Christine (“Chrissie”) Koterba, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, is a clinical neuropsychologist specializing in pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Ohio State University.
Selected Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Spina Bifida
Selected References
Akbari, S. H. A., Holekamp, T. F., Murphy, T. M., Mercer, D., Leonard, J. R., Smyth, M. D., … & Limbrick, D. D. (2015). Surgical management of complex multiloculated hydrocephalus in infants and children. Child’s Nervous System, 31(2), 243-249.
Alabi, N. B., Thibadeau, J., Wiener, J. S., Conklin, M. J., Dias, M. S., Sawin, K. J., & Valdez, R. (2018). Surgeries and health outcomes among patients with spina bifida. Pediatrics, 142(3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3730
Beuriat, P. A., Puget, S., Cinalli, G., Blauwblomme, T., Beccaria, K., Zerah, M., & Sainte-Rose, C. (2017). Hydrocephalus treatment in children: long-term outcome in 975 consecutive patients. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, 20(1), 10-18.
Copp, A. J., Adzick, N. S., Chitty, L. S., Fletcher, J. M., Holmbeck, G. N., & Shaw, G. M. (2015). Spina bifida. Nature reviews Disease primers, 1(1), 1-18.
Fletcher, J. M., Brookshire, B. L., Landry, S. H., Bohan, T. P., Davidson, K. C., Francis, D. J., … & Morris, R. D. (1996). Attentional skills and executive functions in children with early hydrocephalus. Developmental Neuropsychology, 12(1), 53-76.
Foltz, E. L., & Shurtleff, D. B. (1963). Five-year comparative study of hydrocephalus in children with and without operation (113 cases). Journal of Neurosurgery, 20(12), 1064-1079.
Kahle, K. T., Kulkarni, A. V., Limbrick Jr, D. D., & Warf, B. C. (2016). Hydrocephalus in children. The lancet, 387(10020), 788-799.
Phillips, L. A., Burton, J. M., & Evans, S. H. (2017). Spina bifida management. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 47(7), 173-177.
Rekate, H. L., & Blitz, A. M. (2016). Hydrocephalus in children. In Handbook of clinical neurology (Vol. 136, pp. 1261-1273). Elsevier.
Simon, T. D., Riva-Cambrin, J., Srivastava, R., Bratton, S. L., Dean, J. M., & Kestle, J. R. (2008). Hospital care for children with hydrocephalus in the United States: utilization, charges, comorbidities, and deaths. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, 1(2), 131-137.
Wills, K. W. (1993). Neuropsychological functioning in children with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22(2), 247-265.
So helpful – especially in preparation for board exams!