59. Alterations of the electroencephalographic rhythms in children with Sickle Cell disease (SCD): Source analysis with LORETA.

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a congenital familial pathology of the haemoglobin and it is classified as the most common genetic disease in the world. Neurological complications are very frequent: symptomatic stroke occurs in 11% of the SCD patients before they reach 20years of age, while 35% of the patients shows silent damages at the RMN with cognitive impairments and learning disabilities. The aim of this study is to verify the hypothesis that a different cerebral maturation between children with SCD and healthy controls exists. This has been achieved with the spectral analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms and with the LORETA program that estimates the cortical sources of these rhythms. The study demonstrates that, according to both spectral and source analysis, the control group shows a consistent pattern while SCD patients show a great variability: some SCD children show a similar pattern as controls whereas others have a form which is compatible with a delayed degree of maturation. For these reasons, prompt cognitive and pharmacological treatments are advisable in SCD children that show impairments in neuropsychological tests. To this purpose, prospective studies on the effects of the hydroxyurea in the prevention of haemodynamics alterations would be useful. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]