INFANTILE CHOREA IN AN INFANT WITH SEVERE BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA - AN EMG STUDY

Recently a new movement disorder has been described which develops in some preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The present report provides a detailed description (including polyelectromyographical and serial cranial ultrasound findings) of this syndrome in a single infant. The authors suggest that the movement disorder be called infantile chorea, because the movement characteristics and EMG bursting pattern resemble those of adult chorea. It is hypothesized that 'infantile chorea', which is assumed to be caused by dysfunction of the striato-thalamic circuitry, emerges at the age of two to three months post-term as thalamo-corticaI connections are supposed to become functionally active.