Neurology and Developmental Medicine

For many years our research group has investigated aspects of outcome and comorbidities of chronically neurological diseases and at-risk born infants.

In this context in 2016 we continued to investigate neurodevelopmental outcome of very preterm born infants, mentioned the association between sleep and stress parameters and neuropsychological outcome as well as between brain volume and cognitive outcome. Effects of phototherapy on the maturation of sleep pattern in preterm born infants were another project in this context. In addition we published data from a pilot study in which auditory event-related potentials measured in very preterm born infants at a gestational age of 40 weeks were correlated with their mental and psychomotor outcome at 2 years. This pilot data were used to create a new study started in 2016, to proof auditory event-related potentials as a discriminative parameter for early cognitive development in very preterm and term-born asphyctic infants as a possible tool for risk-stratification in these at-risk groups. Further, in a large multicenter study the predictive value of general movements for cerebral palsy in a clinical routine setting were investigated by a leading member of our research group.

Another core of our research deals with neuropsychological features in children with epilepsy, especially with Rolandic epilepsy as a model to investigate aspects of neuroplasiticity induced by a focal epileptic disorder. In a longitudinal study including more than 20 children suffering from Rolando epilepsy re-organization of cortical language representation is being investigated. This study is ongoing, even if the recruitment of new patients is finished.

In addition, our research group focuses on behavioral co-morbidities of children suffering from cerebral palsy and gait abnormalities in children suffering from infantile autism.

Members of our research groups are intensively involved in creating national registers for tuberous sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Within the tuberous sclerosis initiative a member of our research group has the lead in the project.