Monday, September 30, 2019

What makes a family

Family It was three pickoff In the morning on a cold spring night In 1988. My parents woke me up and told me it was time to get ready to go to the airport. We were leaving Russia to move to the united States. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins had moved to the United States a few years back. I was ecstatic to be once again reunited with my relatives especially with my cousin Yang who I was very close to. I Jumped out of bed with so much excitement; I can almost see my heart pumping out of my chest.It was a matter of minutes until I was standing by the door wearing my Black oat and a suitcase next to me. Prior to my relatives leaving, we would spend every weekend, holiday and special occasion together. I would Impatiently Walt for the weekend to come so I can see my cousin Yang and my grandparents. My grandmother would bring little gifts every time she saw me and my grandfather was my hero, regardless of the situation I can always count on him to take my side. Upon moving to B rooklyn, I expected that everything would continue to be the same as It once was In Russia.Within a few months, I realized that this was not the case. My grandparents were occupied with their jobs and other responsibilities. Yang lived to ar of a distance to walk so our time together was limited. We no longer had time to see each other on weekends or spend holidays together. My parents had also become extremely busy trying to construct a new life and part of that process required for them to work on weekends. My father was struggling to accept that he was once a business owner in Russia and now a blue collar worker.He soon began to channel his anger and frustration on me. â€Å"l wish you were a boy' he said, â€Å"l could have taught you manly things. † However, he never took the time to Inquire about my life or teach me about life. Soon, I did not Like spending time at home. I would often find myself feeling lonely and wishing I had a brother or a sister that I can be clos e to. I wanted to feel what it would be like to be loved again. During my first summer in Brooklyn I felt lonely. School was out of session and I had no friends.I would be at the playground near my house watching other kids having fun. My English was still not very good and I had trouble approaching the other children. One day I noticed a girl that, like me, was also alone. She was sitting on a bench about ten feet away and noticed her glancing at me. Within a few minutes she approached me and asked in Russian â€Å"what is your name? ‘ â€Å"Lairs. And what Is yours† I replied. Her name was Anna. She was instantly very talkative and continued asking me questions such as â€Å"where are you from? † and â€Å"how far is your home? We ended up staying at the playground until sundown, and it was one of my happiest days from that summer. It did not take us long to become close, We spent every day of that summer together and I realized that her situation was very si milar to mine. She had also moved with her parents from Russia not too long ago. Eventually they divorced and her mother gave the responsibility of raising her to her grandparents. Unlike me, however, Anna was stronger and more confident. She had control of her emotions and could not be Influenced by others. The opinion of others also did not matter. Be who you want to be, not who others want you to be,† she said â€Å"But I don't want to make my father 1 OFF â€Å"He is already always angry, what difference does it make? † she said â€Å"I am scared I will be in trouble† I said â€Å"We will face the consequences together† she said I thought that if I followed her lead, maybe I too can come out of my shell and be as strong as she was. Anna was protective of me and cared for me as if I was her little sister. After school we would often go to her grandparents' house for dinner and it made me nostalgic of the days my grandmother would cook for me in Russia. After a while her grandparents accepted me as their own grandchild. They invited me to all of their special occasion and holidays. I began spending more time with them instead of my own family. One morning after leaving her grandmother's house to go to school, Anna stopped unexpectedly. She grabbed my arm and said â€Å"can I ask you a question? † I was confused and hesitantly said â€Å"sure. † â€Å"Do you want to be blood sisters? † she asked. â€Å"How do we do that? † I asked puzzled. Let's both cut our pinkies, put them together, and we will become sisters by blood† she answered.We felt so strong about our friendship that on May 21st, 1992 we created an unbreakable bond. Anna became the sister I had always wanted. When I needed to turn to someone for advice or for help I turned to Anna. She did not Judge and supported me regardless if I was right or wrong. I have never trusted a person so much in my life. We discussed education, relationships, careers and marriage. This was something I was unable to do with any of my family members. Of course, we would have our disagreements and fights, but through it all our bond always minded strong.We laughed together, cried together and shared life's ups and downs together. I was blessed to have her in my life. When I reminisce about that day, I realize that although what we did was childish, it also speaks a powerful message. While your parents will always be your family through birth, as you go through life you determine who you can call family. Anna showed me that this can extend to include those that are not your relatives. In my life, Vive formed my family to be people that influence my life, who help me through tough times, and who love and support me regardless of the circumstances.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Later Adulthood Development Report Essay

Aging occurs in every stage of life, and as adults grow older and move from one stage of adulthood to the next many new changes can occur in their everyday lives. The transition from middle adulthood to later adulthood can bring a whole new level of changes to an individual’s life. The aging process includes changes in roles and social positions, considering living accommodations with health care needs, transitioning from work life to retirement, changes in social policies, and changes in relationships with family members and peers. As aging occurs individuals notice a numerous amount of changes in their lives. Some of those changes occur in their roles and social positions. As an individual ages they may begin to notice both physical and mental changes that decrease their ability to carry out activities in their daily routines. An individual who was once the leader of company meetings may notice that they are no longer able to hear or see things as well as they were before, and they may not be able to process their thoughts as quickly. They might also notice a delay in their reaction time. While some people may assume it is because of a medical issue, it could just be because of aging. As aging continues throughout later adulthood individuals may also notice changes in their physical appearances such as loose or wrinkly skin and a decrease in muscle tone. Throughout life individuals may decide to move from one place to another to experience what it is like to live in a new place. As individuals age their health starts to decline, and in some cases, some families have to make the decision to put their loved ones in a nursing home or hire a nursing staff to do home visits. When the health of a loved one becomes an issue family members have to make sure they are getting the  proper care they need to ensure their loved ones are safe and their health needs are being met. Some elderly individuals are able to go through life and not need any type of assistance caring for themselves, but some individuals get sick and cannot properly take care of themselves any longer. Alzheimer’s and Dementia are two of the worst diseases an individual can develop as they age. Once Alzheimer’s or Dementia really set in the individual start to forget life as they previously knew it. They no longer recognize their family or friends and have a hard time remembering anything about their lives. According to the Alzheimer’s Association there are three stages to Alzheimer’s disease, the early, middle, and late stages. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease an individual may still function as well as they did before they knew they had the disease, â€Å"He or she may still drive, work, and be a part of social activities† (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). According to the Alzheimer’s Association, â€Å"The middle stages of Alzheimer’s are typically the longest and can last for many years†. The third, and final stage of Alzheimer’s, the late stages, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, â€Å"may last for several weeks or several years and requires intense are the clock care†. As Alzheimer’s progresses the individual may experience symptoms such as; anger, anxiety, depression, hallucinations, memory loss, confusion, repetition, and physical discomfort. As Alzheimer’s slowly starts to take over the individual it becomes harder and harder for both the individual and the family to deal with the changes that are occurring. That is why it is so important to make sure there is a trained medical professional on site at all times to care and comfort the individual dealing with the disease. The transition from working life to retirement can be a difficult process for some adults as they struggle to accept the changes that will occur in their lifestyle. But, on the other hand, retirement can also be an enjoyable time for some adults as they see it as an opportunity to do things they love without having to worry about work interfering with their plans. Some aging adults have a hard time coping with the thought of retirement because of the drastic change in income and they do not know what to do with  all the extra time they will have throughout the day. While the changes in income between a weekly or biweekly paycheck greatly differ from their previous profession and the amount of money received through social security, most employers offer a 401K savings plan to help with retirement and life after working. Social policies were put in tact to ensure that anyone in need is able to have their needs met. These needs can include medical, nutritional, and income needs. The government has funded programs such as food stamps to help families all over the country provide food for their families. Other government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare are intact to help cover medical expenses for people who cannot afford health or dental insurance. When it comes to the elderly, social programs such as Social Security and the Older Americans Act were put intact to ensure the elderly (anyone aged sixty five or older) are able to financially support themselves. Social policies are a great way to ensure individuals are properly taken care of and are able to support themselves. Family is forever, and nobody should ever feel as if they have to go through life alone. As we age it is important to remember how important our family and friends really are to us. We spend our whole lives searching for someone to spend the rest of our lives with and to build a family with, but as we age and people in our families start to die people begin to feel lonely. Losing a close family member or even a friend can leave individuals with a feeling of loneliness or even depression, â€Å"Most people seventy years of age or older are widowed, divorced, or single† (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010). Grandparents and great- grandparents should never have to feel like they are unimportant or unwanted by their families. As individuals mature and go on with their own lives they should always continue to stay in touch with everyone in their family, but they should especially make sure their grandparents and older family members are healthy and well taken care of. The changes that occur throughout our daily lives are preparing us for the next stage of life. As individuals age they experience new things and learn  new things about themselves. Some people fear aging as they fear they will no longer be able to properly care for themselves any longer, but with the love and support from our families anything is possible. The aging process includes changes in roles and social positions, considering living accommodations with health care needs, transitioning from work life  to retirement, changes in social policies, and changes in relationships with family members and peers. Aging is just one of the many aspects of life that everyone has to deal with, and it is up to us to determine how we want to deal with it and let it affect our everyday life. References: Alzheimer’s Association. The Stages of Alzheimer’s. Retrieved from: http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_4521.asp U.S Department of Health and Family Services. Caring for Frail Elderly People: Policies in Evolution. Retrieved from: http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/chap14.htm Zastrow, C.H. & Kirst-Ashman, K.K. (2010). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment (8th Ed.)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Schedule and Cost Control Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Schedule and Cost Control Techniques - Essay Example (Mochal, 2007)The benefit for this technique is the fact that it takes into account three different scenarios in order to complete the whole picture thus ensuring that project doesn't bring surprises. The basic fact behind the success of PERT is the fact that it intends to capture wider areas of estimates so that managers can have all the possible indications of how the project may behave given these conditions happen and based on their judgment and experience they choose the best estimate. Further, what is most beneficial in the use of PERT is the fact that it takes into the uncertainty related with the project. By taking into account the three difference scenarios, it tends to capture the uncertainty therefore there are very minimal chances of something going awry until and unless project encounters something which is entirely external and out of the control of the project managers. Thus PERT not only not assist and scheduling and estimating of the project but helps in making tradeoffs between project and segments. Similarly, EVM or earned value management is another tool available to project managers which can greatly help to view projects in more objective way. Essentially, EVM tends to measure technical performance, schedule performance and cost performance using one single estimation methodology. However, what is most important with this methodology is the fact that it can provide early warning signals if applied properly thus it provides a very accurate method of ensuring that if followed properly, it can help avoid the big surprises during the project life cycle. Further to this, what is more critical and valuable about this approach is the fact that it helps achieve the measurement of cost performance therefore ensuring that projects besides remaining within the technical parameters also remain within the budgets so that risk tradeoffs could be made between the whole project and the segments. This is important in the sense that It provides a better grip over the affairs of the project besides ensuring that the costs remain within the control and all the associated risks with the project are balanced with proper risk and return tradeoff. However one more important thing that EVM fail to capture is the quality of the project otherwise it tend to focus clearly on ensuring that the schedules as well as ensuring that the risk tradeoffs between the various segments of the project and project itself are well managed. Risk Metric is another tool which can greatly help to normalize the project as it can greatly help achieve to minimize the risks associated with the projects. (Ferguson, 2004) it provides the required visibility into the uncertainities related with the project thus it is most valuable in assessing and making risk return trade off in the projects besides ensuring that the costs and other estimates and schedules are properly prepared and are within the limits. "The proposed metric can be applied early and throughout the project. It has been useful for identifying or canceling projects in trouble. It has also been useful for identifying projects that do not yet have a satisfactory risk plan." (Ferguson, 2004). Further Risk Metric can also allow project managers to check the compliance of the project with the standards and procedures set in the beginning of the project. Conclusion There are various tools and techniques available to ensure that during the

Friday, September 27, 2019

The art deco Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The art deco - Research Paper Example Mathematical geometric shapes formed the basis of the structure of most Art Deco design patterns. They were generally seen to have trapezoidal, zigzag and triangular shapes, chevron patterns, stepped forms and sunburst motifs . Floral patterns and images of botanical objects were also part of the design. Plain or geometric fabrics were mostly used in Art Deco. Smooth fabrics such as wools, silks that lacked texture were used. Cushions sometimes covered in fabrics that contrasted with the rest of the body were sometimes used to enhance boldness. Art Deco reflected a shift to lighter and more neutral shades that had a metallic undertone. Popular colors in this design are such shades as black, gray, silver, white and brown variations. Bolder colors such as yellow, red, gold, green and blue were used minimally and were muted. Exotic pastels were a popular accent color at the time when Art Deco was popular. Art Deco fashion formed the next fashion look after the decline of art nouveau. It had two phases between 1910 to 1924 and between 1924 to 1930 . The former was built around neoclassical/ peasant designs while the latter was more minimalistic, with a modern touch. The first phase was led by Paul Poiret . He launched his first works in 1908 which was slim, simple, high waisted dresses that were delicately layered and exotic in style. His use of shades of pink, purple, blue, green and gold was inspired by his interest in Fauve paintings. In 1911, Paul organized the thousand and one night Ball.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Effects of Technology on Warfare Research Paper

The Effects of Technology on Warfare - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Clausewitz, Maude, and Graham define war as the â€Å"act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will†. War requires a party to defeat its adversary, till such time that the adversary does not offer any more resistance. Violence equips itself with the innovations of science and technology to compete against violence. A strategy is defined as the assimilation and deployment of the objects of war to thwart the opponent. The conduct of warfare depends on the military tactics and strategies employed. Tactics help to put strategies into effect by making decisions that do not necessarily have a long-term effect. With changes in the character of war and advances in technology, strategies and tactics have seen a change in their meaning. This paper explores the effects of technology on warfare and alterations in the internal threads that accompany technological breakthroughs. The paper also addresses how technology re quires a reformulated conceptual change in war-making. The first part of the paper deals with warfare in the early period, before Napoleon began his conquests. It then sheds light on the method of warfare used by Napoleon. The paper explores the use of technology in different wars such as the US Civil War, the First and the Second World Wars, the Gulf War and the Lebanese War, helping to establish how wars were lost or won by using technology and demonstrating its role in war-making. The latter part of the paper examines how technology mandates a subsequent change in internal threads, followed by a conclusion.  For the most part of history, strategies were considered to be the art of how the general conducted warfare and was aimed to tackle problems such as breaking into a fort, arranging the armed forces in a tactical maneuver to give them the advantage over the opponent force etc. Strategies began to change in the past two centuries primarily due to the concept of policies that had the support of the public, international coalitions, and technological advances. As a result, it became increasingly difficult to tell national policies apart from military policies.

The Effects of Social Media in Todays Society Annotated Bibliography

The Effects of Social Media in Todays Society - Annotated Bibliography Example The author refers to usability as how well a system supports the needs of users and the ability of the system to accomplish a task. Greiter acknowledges that, even though usability testing is a common practice, the software of usability of security requires more consideration. My team could use this article to examine why computer users often circumvent the security mechanisms in places or why common users of computer may lack confidence in the security system that they use. This book explores the events surrounding the scandal of WikiLeaks and the issues concerning security. Brenner examines the legal challenges that were presented by the incident. My team could use this source in our report on security issues associated with collaborative online tools. Some of the recommendations made in this paper may be used for our conclusion. This paper examines privacy as a key aspect of the experience of computer user when online as well as on computing devices by reviewing the perspective that the users of computers have on computer system in order to aid in improving privacy through Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). My team could use this source to explain privacy as a process through which computer users can control personal data effectively. This article reports a survey of 115 information technology companies that was conducted in India and the United States jointly by the US trade association ITAA and the Indian trade association NASSCOM. The paper reports that companies are more concerned with security than ever before. 75% of the companies showed that information security is a vital differentiator in the provided services. My team could use this paper to cite background information on security case that involved Geometric Software Solutions, which included virus and spam problems. This article addresses security risk concerns to clients from the vendor workers from who

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Critical analysis of your own personnel leadership approach, with an Essay

Critical analysis of your own personnel leadership approach, with an action plan for developing your own leadership potential - Essay Example According to Northhouse (2003), most traits studied in leadership are of men and most people perceive leadership as for men. But it is of reality today that many great leaders are women. As much as people know the importance of a leader, in a leader's mind and heart, it is also important to assess his own leadership style for further development. In this paper, we will examine the author's personal leadership and management style. In the end, the author is hopeful to inculcate lessons regarding leadership from his own leadership style and personnel management approach and hopefully be able to find out key elements in improving his own leadership. The author as a leader is democratic. He is democratic in a sense that he gives freedom to his members. Freedom is manifested in the fact the he encourages creative thinking from his members. His members are allowed to conceptualize ideas regarding the steps needed by the organization in taking the path towards success. His members are free to suggest action plans on how the organization will move. As a matter of fact, he requires each member to submit an action plan. He also emphasized the promotion of an atmosphere of free thinking. He also banners a participative leadership. "Participative leadership consults with subordinates about decisions" (Daft 2004). He does not give much pressure to his members. He believes that free thinking can promote a healthier environment for his members and will let them achieve better ends in their endeavor of achieving success. He gives tasks in a manner that his members enjoy doing it. But he also emphasized that freedom is limited to the extent that there is always discipline in his members. The freedom that he gives is not absolute because he always wants discipline to be bannered by his members. The author's leadership also creates a spirit of trust to his employees. This presupposes an atmosphere of freedom and innovation that banners free thinking. Given that a leader must have trust to his members, this will then pave way for his members to have confidence in themselves. The confidence that they gain will now give them the opportunity to innovate and create new schemes for the organization on what they deem important and vital for the attainment of its success. Employees can now be active players of the whole brain of an organization that runs the whole system. This will not only lead to growth of every employee but also to the organization as a whole. The author is also a leader that understands that man is basically a subject. This idea is from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. A subject can transcend predications and qualities that can be embedded unto him. Subjectivity entails possibilities and potentialities that people have. One cannot be boxed or limited to a certain "this" or "that". One is more than "this" that confronts a leader or anyone, one can be anything. Thus, he is a leader that relates beyond his function. Recognizing the subjectivity of people transcends mere objective interaction. Both of the parties involved are always in the perspective of openness. Openness is the acceptance of the "other" as a being just like oneself. The "other" is also unique and full of potentialities and thus, cannot be limited to a mere function or object. There is a sense of

Monday, September 23, 2019

Evaluation of Job Recruitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation of Job Recruitment - Essay Example Looking at the website of Tivoli Lodge, the career information provided on vacancy available in the hotel is adequate for someone who may have an interest. The information include the names of the particular vacancies available, whether it is hourly or hourly, the amount paid per hour, and the job description or what the job requires of the applicant (Tivoli Lodge, 2014). On the other hand, a career information found on the website of Oxford Group Of Hotels is not quite elaborate. It has the name the job position and the specific hotel where the vacancy is available (Oxford Hotel Group, 2014). However, there is no information on either a salary or on the job description or what one is expected to do when offered the job. Information about the required qualification for the job is also not put in this website. The website of Tivoli Lodge at least gives some hint on the corporate culture of this company through describing the job requirement. The corporate culture realized through their way of doing things. Every company does their thing in a unique way, and some of these ways are strengths or weaknesses in these companies, to their performance. Therefore, by Tivoli Lodge, describing what activities a person is required to do for a particular job position, they are trying to make the potential candidates aware of their corporate culture. On the other hand, the website of Oxford Group of Hotels portrays the company as one that does not give the potential much information about corporate culture. The information on career on this website is too brief and does not explain much about the corporate culture. However, the candidates can also learn from this website that, the company is one that does not like sharing certain information meant for itself, with the entire public. Tivoli Lodges website attracts applicants through announcing the specific amount paid for each position, so that, all

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Social Problems Caused by Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Problems Caused by Abortion - Essay Example For the conclusion, the summary of the researcher's learning outcomes will be enumerated. There is a huge difference between the number of Baby Boomers population (born between 1945 - 1964) with 76 million as compared to the Generation X's (born between 1965 - 1980) with 46 million. (Francis-Smith, 2004; Allen, 2004; Raines, 2002) Basically, the signficant differences on the number of population between the two generations contribute a lot to the increase of social problems related to the future pension plan for the Baby Boomers. Since the population of Generation X is significantly much lesser than the population of Baby Boomers, the amount of taxes that can be collected from Generation X would become insufficient to sustain the large sum of money needed to support the pension pay of each individuals belonging to the Baby In line with this matter, Senator Zell Miller stated that "killing: of unborn children has caused a number of social problems in the United States including limiting the number of people who could be productive workers and contribute to social security." (Ertelt, 2007) Also, given that millions of American fetus were legally aborted either intentionally or against the free-will of the pregnant American woman, the United States need to accept more highly literated foreigners to immigate into the country. Based on medical tests, women who has undergone the process of abortion may result to a long list of negative physical, emotional and psychological adverse effects. (Coleman, Rue, & Spence, 2007) As part of the negative psychological effects of abortion on young girls and women, more than 25% of them are seeking the professional help of a psychiatrist. (Badgley, 1977: 313 - 321) Some women who could not tolerate the emotion and psychological disturbances caused by abortion may also have difficulty in getting some sleep or experience nervous disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which may require them to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. (Barnard, 1990; Ashton, 1980) Some of these women may also have an increased risk to minor and major infections, the symptoms of excessive bleeding, chronic abdominal pain due to the tearing of the uterus, cervical injuries and gastro-intestinal disturbances. (Reardon, 1987) In case these physiological symptoms are not properly taken cared of, the woman may end up losing their own lives. (Frank et al., 1987; Reardon, 1987) Since women who has gone through abortion may be at risk of mental, psychological and physical problems, each of these women would not be effective enough in fulfilling their role in the society as a wife and a mother. Society's Contribution in the Development of these Social Problems The society has a

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The renaissance art world and its classical origin Essay Example for Free

The renaissance art world and its classical origin Essay Titan was born in one of the remote areas of Pieve di Gadore, however, he grow to work in Venice. He picked up quickly and become one of the dominant painters, if not the dominant painter of Europe. His oil paintings were the most sort after especially by the courtly and aristocratic patrons. His paintings were considered to be more naturalistic by the art theorists and hence of low perfection in design than the works from Rome and Florence. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, his works began to be appreciated up to the current time where the current scholars have intensified this contextual works. The most famous works by this artist was the Venus of Urbino and it is also the most disputed of his artworks. The intertwined possession themes of a beautiful woman and her image creation permeated the conception of female art by the renaissance. As the old thoughts always asserted that anyone who depicts a beautiful woman will always deserve her, the people of the renaissance may like to transfer these assertions to the art maker. This being the people’s notion, there are many questions which are raised from this. Taking this into account we take this to the paragon extent between Titans and Michelangelo. In renaissance times, the beauty of any female was the lodestone of aesthetics, inspire of the male being taken to be the norm and the female an aberration. The Titan’s woman picture can not only be used to portray his artistic gift but also can be seen as his booster to his rivals of all times. In his competition with his most contemporary rival, Michelangelo, titans uses this artwork to assert of his superiority and his primacy of sculpture paintings of colorito over design and feminine over masculine. The two, Michelangelo and Titan, came to confrontations of the diseno i.e the design and colorito for themselves. Michelangelo tried to make his name by the heroic men like that of David while Titan made reference to the female subject along with their style. Michelangelo shown the inability of the Venetian to draw and equated their disadvantages to their focus on femininity. In his evaluation of the Michelangelo artworks, Aretino allusion that he is more than a angel Devine, shows his promotion of Michelangelo angelic status which were conferred by Aristotle. References Preimesberger, Rudolf (2011). Paragons and Paragone: Van Eyck, Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini. Getty Publications John T. Paoletti; Gary M. Radke (2005). Art in Renaissance Italy (3 ed.). Laurence King Publishing. Source document

Friday, September 20, 2019

Ophthalmoplegic Migraine Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma

Ophthalmoplegic Migraine Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma Corresponding Author: Dr.R.Subasree Title : Ophthalmoplegic Migraine and Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma: Cause or Co-Incidence? Structured Abstract: Objective: To report a case of Ophthalmoplegic migraine with Pediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma which is very rare. Methods: A 16 year old boy admitted as inpatient at our tertiary referral centre and University hospital in South India, with history of recurrent headaches and oculomotor palsy of 14 years duration was evaluated in detail to rule out posterior fossa, orbital fissure, parasellar lesions, granulomatous disorders and aneurysms. Results: Initial CT Brain revealed a nodular non-enhancing lesion in the interpeduncular cistern, MR Imaging along with CISS 3D sequence done two years later after CT, revealed a small enhancing nodular lesion at the level of midbrain in the interpeduncular cistern at nerve exit level suggestive of schwannoma of third nerve. Practice: Patient was treated with analgesics, nimodipine and valproate with which there was a partial response. During his subsequent 2 year follow-up, his frequency and severity of attacks had reduced. Conclusion: Oculomotor nerve schwannomas are extremely rare. Only 12 children under the age of 18, without neurofibromatosis have been sufficiently documented. The coexistence of OM and Oculomotor schwannoma suggests that it is not a coincidence. Awareness and suspicion is required to identify cranial cephalalgia /OM and it warrants thorough investigation to rule out intrinsic lesions mimicking OM. Implications. Controversies exist till date regarding etiology, pathophysiology, imaging findings and management guidelines of OM. The rare association reported in our report gives insight into better understanding of the pathophysiology and clinico-radiological correlations in OM. Keywords: Ophthalmoplegic migraine, Oculomotor Schwanomma Introduction Ophthalmoplegic migraine is very rare with annual incidence being 0.7 per million. It most often occurs in infancy or childhood. There are recurrent attacks of headache in association with ophthalmoplegia due to paresis of cranial nerve III, IV, or VI .The episodes of ophthalmoplegia may persist for several hours to several weeks, months, or permanently. Most often it is self-limited condition. Ophthalmoplegic migraine is also recognized as a cranial neuralgia according to 2004 edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. [1] .Paediatric Oculomotor Schwannoma is extremely rare and it can mimic OM. We describe a young boy with recurrent ophthalmoplegic migraine and oculomotor schwannoma in MR imaging. Clinical Observation A 16 year old boy presented with history of left hemicranial headache of 14year duration. The headache was throbbing, severe associated with drooping of left eye, blurring of left eye vision, photo-phonophobia, nausea and vomiting. The frequency of attacks was around 15 per month each lasting for 3-48 hours. During the attack, he was found to have left sided ptosis, poorly responsive normal sized pupil and mild left elevation and adduction restriction. (Figure 1).There was persistent residual vision loss in left eye with acuity of 6/60. Fundus was normal. There were no other deficits. Investigations were carried out to rule out posterior fossa, orbital fissure and parasellar lesions. Initial CT Brain revealed a nodular non-enhancing lesion in the interpeduncular cistern , MR Imaging along with CISS 3D sequence done two years later (Figure 3a, 3b) revealed a small enhancing nodular lesion at the level of midbrain in the interpeduncular cistern at nerve exit level suggestive of schwannoma of third nerve. MR Angiography was normal. (Figure 3c). Patient was treated with analgesics, nimodipine and valproate with which there was a partial response. Steroids were not administered. During his subsequent 2 year follow-up, his frequency and severity of attacks had reduced. Paediatric Oculomotor Schwanomma is present as painless oculomotor deficit or may be asymptomatic and detected incidentally. Its presence with OM poses a question whether it was a mere coincidence or the cause of OM. Discussion: Ophthalmoplegic migraine is a rare distinct neurologic syndrome characterized by recurrent headache and ophthalmoplegia. The third cranial nerve is most commonly affected. Most patients recover completely within days to weeks, but a minority are left with persistent neurologic deficits. [1] .As per the International Classification of Headache, ophthalmoplegic migraine is defined as at least 2 attacks of ‘‘migraine-like’’ headache followed within 4 days by paresis of the third, fourth, and/or sixth cranial nerves, including ophthalmoparesis, ptosis, or mydriasis .[2] Gap between the onset of headache and the cranial nerve palsy has varied between 2 days and10 weeks. [3]The exact aetiology of this condition remains unknown. Oculomotor nerve compression, ischemia, swelling of the posterior cerebral artery, pituitary swelling, vascular anomaly, benign viral infection, demyelinating neuropathy, activation of trigemino-vascular system are the various pathogenesis implicated. Diseases such as vascular malformation, granulomatous infections, pituitary apoplexy, sarcoidosis and chronic inflammatory, demyelinating polyneuropathies may have similar clinical presentation like OM. So contrast enhanced MRI and magnetic resonance angiography should be the investigations of first choice for the diagnosis of OM, followed by a careful clinical examination and spinal tap. Sometimes, conventional angiogram may be necessary to exclude an aneurysm. [4]. Mark et al. 1998.,[5]found focal thickening of the nerve in non-contrast studies, and further thickening was present on the contrast-enhanced images in the area of the exit zone of the nerve in the inter peduncular cistern. Carlow studied the magnetic resonance scans in six patients diagnosed with OM and did a retrospective literature survey in 17 patients with OM, all of whom showed thickened ipsilateral oculomotor nerves at the midbrain exit in noncontrast T 1 -weighted images. Contrast T 1 -weighted magnetic resonance scans showed enhancement of the ipsilateral oculomotor nerves. [6].Many cases show improvement in the enhancement of cranial nerve III with resolution of the symptoms, but the timing and degree of resolution has not been consistent in reports. Contrast enhancement on MRI is not a sine qua non for the diagnosis of OM. Gelfand AA et al., 2011 [1] systematically reviewed all cases of OM in literature between1995 to 2010. There were a total of 80 cases .The median age at the time of the first ophthalmoplegic migraine attack was 8 years (3-16 years) .The third cranial nerve was involved in the vast majority of cases (83%), sixth cranial nerve was involved in 20% and the fourth nerve in 2% of cases. The interval between headache onset and ophthalmoparesis ranged from immediate to up to 14 days. The ophthalmoplegia tended to last longer (2 to 3 weeks to 2 to 3 months) .In 54%, persistent deficits were observed. Of 52 patients who had a contrast brain MRI during an acute attack, 75% had contrast enhancement of the third nerve and 76% had nerve thickening. There was a benefit from corticosteroid treatment in 54%. Schwannomas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumours with great propensity to arise from vestibular nerves. Oculomotor nerve schwannomas are extremely rare. There are only 40 cases reported in the literature. Only 12 children under the age of 18, without neurofibromatosis have been sufficiently documented. [7] In 1982, Leunda et al. [8] reported a case in an 11-year-old boy whose tumour was resected en bloc and ranked as the largest oculomotor nerve schwannoma documented at that time, with a 55-mm diameter. Since then, another 11 histologically proven paediatric cases have been described successively in the literature. The average diameters of the paediatric tumours size is 19.5 mm. Oculomotor nerve paresis was the most common neurological sign and a variable degree of oculomotor nerve dysfunction, including ptosis, diplopia, or dilated pupil, was present in all but one . Duration of preoperative symptoms and signs ranged from 2 weeks to 12 years. Authors opine that lesion size did not correlate with the degree of oculomotor nerve deficit. Ipsilateral ophthalmoplegic migraine was found in two cases of cisternal microlesions involving the initial prepontine segment of oculomotor nerve. [7].Total removal of schwannoma usually resulted in severe postoperative parent nerve paresis. Surgical tr eatment was indicated only for large tumours that presented in association with consciousness disturbance, other cranial nerve signs, or hemiparesis due to mass effect, or in cases where the lesion showed malignant features with rapid enlargement. Murakami et al., 2005 [9] described a case of an 11-year-old girl with oculomotor nerve schwannoma who had been suffering from symptoms mimicking OM. Her attacks became more frequent and were not controlled by medication. After surgery, the frequency of OM attacks reduced. This was the first report to describe a pathologically confirmed case of oculomotor nerve schwannoma mimicking OM. Riahi A et al., 2014[10] described a 12 year old girl with recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia, who on examination was found to have left oculomotor palsy. Her third MRI focusing on third nerve revealed schwannoma of the oculomotor nerve in left cisternal portion. Kawasaki et al., 1999 [11] reported a case of the coexistence of OM and ipsilateral 3rd nerve schwannoma .The authors had an acute and a follow-up MRI during a recovery phase and noticed no difference. The coexistence of two rare conditions suggests that a mere coincidence is unlikely. It has been proposed that repeated inflammation could lead to a demyelination/ remyelination process with Schwann cell proliferation and onion bulb formation. There are no published treatment trials for ophthalmoplegic migraine. Oral steroids may be of possible benefit in treating acute exacerbations based on available case series. Prompt steroid therapy at the time of attack might minimize permanent sequelae of OM, including residual weakness of the third cranial nerve and pupillary dysfunction. Bharucha et al., 2007 [4] state that various treatments have been described, including steroids acutely and flunarizine, acetazolamide, propranolol, cyproheptadine, or verapamil prophylactically. OM is a heterogeneous disorder that needs adequate scrutiny, periodic magnetic resonance monitoring, and clinical correlation before we can conclude and draw management guidelines. Conclusion: Awareness and suspicion is required to identify cranial cephalalgia /OM as it is a rare entity and diagnosis even by headache experts is made by exclusion. It warrants thorough investigation to rule out intrinsic lesions mimicking OM. The rare association reported in our report gives insight into pathophysiology and clinico-radiological correlations in OM. Bibliography 1. Gelfand AA, Gelfand JM, Prabakhar P et al. Ophthalmoplegic ‘‘Migraine’’ or Recurrent Ophthalmoplegic Cranial Neuropathy: New Cases and a Systematic Review. Journal of Child Neurology.2011; 27(6):759-766 2. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia. 2004; 24(suppl 1):9–160. 3. Ravi Shankar. K. Ophthalmoplegic Migraine: Still a Diagnostic Dilemma? Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2008; 12: 285 – 291 4. Diana X. Bharucha, Timothy B. Campbell, Ignacio Valencia. MRI Findings in Pediatric Ophthalmoplegic Migraine: A Case Report and Literature Review. Pediatric Neurology .2007; 37: 59–63 5. Mark AS, Casselman J, Brown D, et al.: Ophthalmoplegic migraine: reversible enhancement and thickening of the cisternal segment of the oculomotor nerve on contrast enhanced MRI images. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol .1998; 19: 1887– 1891. 6. Carlow TJ: Oculomotor ophthalmoplegic migraine: is it really migraine? J Neuroophthalmol .2002; 22: 215– 221. 7. Yang S, Li Z, Liu X et al.Pediatric Isolated Oculomotor Nerve Schwannoma: A New Case Report and Literature Review. Pediatric Neurology.2013; 48(4):321–324 8. Leunda G,Vaquero J,Cabezudo J et al. Schwannoma of the oculomotor nerves .Report of four cases .J Neurosurg.1982;57:563-565 9. T. Murakami, M. Funatsuka, M. Komine et al.Oculomotor nerve schwannoma mimicking ophthalmoplegic migraine.Neuropediatrics.2005; 36:395–398 10. Riahi A, Youssef-Turki I.B, Walha K et al. 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