Neurology

Pediatric neurology deals with diseases and disorders that can affect a child's nervous system. This includes the brain, the spinal cord, and all associated blood vessels, muscles and nerves.

• Conditions treated
• Advanced technologies and innovations
• Our cpecialty care team
• Care and treatment information
• Requesting an appointment
• What is pediatric neurology?
• What is a pediatric neurologist?
• CME opportunities

Conditions treated

The pediatric neurologist examines the nerves of the head and neck to evaluate muscle strength, movement, balance and reflexes. The neurologist also evaluates sensation, memory, speech, language and other cognitive abilities in order to diagnose, treat and manage the following conditions:

• Seizure disorders, including seizures in infants, infantile spasms, febrile convulsions, epilepsy, genetically-related seizure disorders, tuberous sclerosis
• Traumatic brain injury, stroke, medical aspects of head injuries and brain tumors
• Cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, nerve-muscle disorders
• Movement disorders such as dystonia, spasticity, ataxia, Tourette's syndrome
• Hydrocephalus
• Neurofibromatosis
• Headaches including migraines

Advanced technologies mean innovative care

Cook Children's offers some of the most advanced, kid-friendly care in the nation. With leading-edge imaging and diagnostic capabilities, our specialists are able to better treat patients and help them get back to doing what they do best: being kids.

Neurodiagnostics

The Neurodiagnostic Center at Cook Children's offers the most innovative and advanced technologies to diagnose, evaluate, and treat the conditions that affect a child's brain and development. At Cook Children's, you'll have access to leading-edge resources, brilliant doctors, and a team of highly skilled medical professionals who specialize in pediatric neurology. All with one purpose in mind: to help your child have the best quality of care possible. Learn more.

 

iMRI

The iMRI suite is a special operating room developed for brain surgery. It combines innovative surgical and imaging tools in one place. Surgeons can take high-quality MRIs during surgery to see the area of the brain they are operating on, the size and shape of tumors, and the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissue. And because surgeons have the ability to see and remove the entire tumor during one surgery, these tools make surgery more precise, reducing risk and the need for a second surgery. Learn more.

MEG

The latest development in magnetic imaging technology, the MEG makes finding and diagnosing a brain condition much easier for our doctors. Billions of neurons fire off trillions of electric signals, making the brain a very busy place. The MEG maps all of that activity so that doctors can pinpoint with incredible accuracy where in the brain the seizure is occurring and what removing tissue from that area may affect, like speech. This helps to determine the best course of treatment for each patient. Learn more.

EMU

Designed especially for patients with difficult to diagnose and control seizures, our advanced Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) offers the latest in high-tech evaluation tools. State-of-the-art wireless technology lets our team of highly trained EEG technologists record a child's brain activity while they do kid activities: visiting with other patients on the unit or in the play area, playing games, doing crafts, and sleeping. All in a safe environment surrounded by a specialized care team. Learn more.

3D modeling

3D modeling offers a unique dimension in the diagnosis and treatment of brain conditions. Advanced techniques create an actual 3D image of your child's brain. The neuro team then uses this image to map the location of tumors, epileptic seizures, and other neurologic conditions. This is especially useful in pinpointing a surgical area and determining the best course of treatment for your child. Learn more.

Our specialty care team

The experts in the Cook Children's neurosciences program include neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses and nurse practitioners, psychologists,electroencephalography (EEG) technologists, medical assistants and administrative staff. Because we have these experts on hand, we are able to provide some of the most comprehensive patient-centered care for the children in our community and surrounding regions.

Of course, because parents and caregivers are the most important members of each child's care team, we also look to you as experts on your child.

This team approach allows us to meet many of your child's specialized health care needs and deliver uncommon care to every child, every day.

Epileptologists

	Hernandez, Angel M.D. Medical Director, Neurology View physician biography.		Malik, Saleem M.D. Medical Director, Comprehensive Epilepsy Program View physician biography.

	Perry, M. Scott M.D. Medical Director, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Clinic View physician biography.		Cynthia G. Keator, M.D. View physician biography.

Neurologists

	Kelfer, Howard M.D. View physician biography.		Lacy, Adrian M.D. View physician biography.

Neuro-oncology

	Murray, Jeffrey C. M.D. Medical Director, Neuro-Oncology View physician biography.		McGlothlin, Jeffery C. M.D. View physician biography.

Movement disorders

	Marks, Warren M.D. Medical Director, Movement Disorder and Neurorehabilitation Program View physician biography.		Acosta, Fernando M.D. Associate Medical Director, Movement Disorder and Neurorehabilitation Program View physician biography.

	Aalbers, Brian D.O. View physician biography.

Headaches

	Ryals, Brian M.D. Medical Director, Comprehensive Headache Program View physician biography.

Neurology nurse practitioners

Care and treatment information

Pediatric neurologists treat children from birth into young adulthood. They choose to focus their medical practice on caring for children, and their advanced training and experience give them the exceptional ability to meet the needs of children with neurological problems.

At Cook Children's, our neurologists work with many specialists, including epileptologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, nurse educators, social workers, and Child Life specialists, to provide some of the most comprehensive care possible for your child.

Requesting an appointment

To request an appointment, you may either call our office at 682-885-2500 or fill out our appointment request form. A member of our staff will contact you within one business day to schedule your appointment and get more information.

What is pediatric neurology?

Pediatric neurology is a medical specialty that deals with diseases and disorders that can affect a child's nervous system, specifically the brain, the spinal cord, and all associated blood vessels, muscles, and nerves.

What is a pediatric neurologist?

If your child has a problem involving the nervous system, a pediatric neurologist has the special training and experience necessary to diagnose and treat your child. Pediatric neurologists are medical doctors who have completed four years of medical school, at least one to two years of pediatric residency, and three or more years of residency training in adult and child neurology. In addition, most pediatric neurologists have certification from the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (with special competency in child neurology).

Many neurologists also have additional subspecialty training (fellowships) after completing their residency. Some of these specialty areas include epilepsy (epileptologist), sleep medicine, pain management, neurophysiology, headaches, and movement disorders. It is the pediatric neurologist who performs neurological examinations of the nerves of the head and neck; muscle strength and movement; balance, ambulation, and reflexes; and sensation, memory, speech, language, and other cognitive abilities in order to diagnose, treat, and manage the following conditions:

• Seizure disorders, including seizures in newborns, febrile convulsions, and epilepsy
• Medical aspects of head injuries and brain tumors
• Cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and nerve-muscle disorders
• Headaches, including migraines
• Movement disorders such as Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Mental retardation
• Hydrocephalus

They also perform diagnostic tests such as:

• CAT scan (computed axial tomography)
• MRI/MRA (magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography)
• EEG (electroencephalography)
• EMG/NCV (electromyography/nerve conduction velocity)

Patient events:

Epilepsy Day Camp
Epilepsy day camp is an annual event for our epilepsy program families. It is sponsored by the Cook Children's Neurosciences staff. There is no charge for the camp. Families enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, educational displays, door prizes, interaction with nurses and physicians, and a catered meal. The event takes place each October.

Continuing professional education opportunities

Pediatric epilepsy and movement disorder symposium
The symposium is an annual event, held in August, which is designed to enhance the learning experience of neurologists, epileptologists, pediatricians, physiatrists, registered nurses, therapists and EEG technicians. Continuing advances in the field of epilepsy and movement disorders create a need for health professionals to participate in specialized continuing education opportunities to advance their knowledge, skills and clinical practice. We hope you will join us as we learn from recognized experts in the field of pediatric neurology.

Objectives:
1. Identify current issues related to pediatric epilepsy and movement disorders.
2. Describe treatment options and strategies for pediatric epilepsy and movement disorders.