The sciatic nerve can be injured through various mechanisms, including direct compression and ischemia related to traumatic events. Reports of iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury caused by misplaced intramuscular injections are rare. We present a case involving a 5-year-old patient who developed motor weakness and hypesthesia in the left lower extremity following an intramuscular injection of diclofenac into the left buttock. An electrodiagnostic study diagnosed the patient with an injury to the left sciatic nerve, primarily affecting its peroneal division. This diagnosis was later confirmed by radiologic evaluation. Following several weeks of rehabilitation, which included gait pattern correction, verbal cueing, and electrical stimulation therapy, the patient showed improvement in sensory deficits and motor impairment. The peroneal portion of the sciatic nerve is more susceptible to injury than the tibial portion due to its structural characteristics. Additionally, the sciatic nerve follows various paths as it passes the piriformis muscle. Certain drugs, such as diclofenac, exhibit greater neurotoxicity than others. When neurologic deficits are observed, an electrodiagnostic study is recommended. This helps not only in identifying the etiology and precise location of the neural insult but also in predicting the prognosis and formulating a comprehensive treatment plan.

Background: Central poststroke pain (CPSP) is neuropathic pain caused by a cerebrovascular lesion. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to effectively reduce CPSP. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an alternative stimulation method to conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, has been shown to have beneficial effects for neuropathic pain. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of iTBS on CPSP and demonstrate the effects using clinical assessment scales. Methods: Patients with CPSP who met the neuropathic pain criteria of the PainDetect questionnaire (PD-Q), Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs (LANSS), and Douleur neuropathique 4 questions (DN4) were recruited. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to a real or sham iTBS and underwent 5 sessions of iTBS to the motor cortex. Before the initial stimulation and after the completion of 5 sessions, PD-Q, LANSS, DN4, and numeric rating scale were assessed. Results: PD-Q, LANSS, DN4, and numeric rating scale decreased significantly in the real iTBS group but not in the sham iTBS group. There were no adverse effects regarding the iTBS sessions. Conclusion: iTBS was effective in reducing CPSP. Considering the safety and convenience of application, iTBS can be suggested as an effective treatment for patients with CPSP.

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially altered children’s daily experiences, limiting social interactions, which are critical for language development. This study aims to explore how the pandemic influenced receptive and expressive language abilities in children under six years, focusing on the impact of exposure duration and differences with the pandemic period. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed 189 children assessed for language delay at our outpatient clinic between 2018 and 2021. Only children evaluated using the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants or the Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale were included. Participants were categorized by assessment period: pre-COVID (2018–2019), acute-COVID (2020), and chronic-COVID (2021), and by age (toddlers vs. preschoolers). Linear regression assessed the relationship between pandemic exposure duration and language scores; non-parametric tests compared groups. Results: During the acute-COVID period, longer exposure was associated with lower receptive and expressive percentile scores. In preschoolers, receptive scores were significantly lower in the chronic-COVID group than in the pre-COVID group, while expressive scores were lower in the chronic-COVID group than in the acute-COVID group. Conclusions: Prolonged exposure to the pandemic environment was associated with measurable delays in both receptive and expressive language development, especially in preschoolers. The results suggest that pandemic restrictions can hinder children’s language acquisition, indicating the need to strengthen early screening and provide timely interventions to support their developmental recovery.