Expert, Personalized Pediatric Neurologic Care
Our nervous system is a sophisticated and important system that regulates and coordinates our body's basic functions and activities. With these complexities in mind, the pediatric patients who come to Rochester Regional Health's Pediatric Neurology Center receive excellent patient care and individualized management of a wide range of pediatric neurologic problems. Each patient receives a thorough diagnosis, cutting-edge treatment, and the personalized care they and their family deserve.
Diagnosis
Our compassionate pediatric neurology team understands that pediatric neurological conditions can be life-changing not only for the patient, but also for family members. Rochester Regional Health takes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care and includes the entire family in the evaluation, diagnosis, and discussions of treatment plans.
Diagnostic evaluations and procedures may include:
As a first step in diagnosing a pediatric neurological condition, our compassionate pediatric neurologist will complete a pediatric neurological examination to check the function of your child’s brain, spinal cord and nerves.
During this painless exam, our pediatric neurologist may use instruments, such as lights and reflex hammers to check one or more of the following:
- Balance and coordination
- Mental health (level of awareness and interaction with the environment)
- Motor and sensory skills
- Nerve function
- Reflexes
Developmental testing begins with our specialist collecting a detailed health history about your child, and performing a comprehensive physical examination. The specialist may ask your child to complete various age-appropriate activities and tasks.
Depending on the child’s age, our specialist may want to meet with you individually. This can be helpful when you don’t want to candidly discuss your child’s challenges in front of them. Depending on the findings of initial tests and your specific concerns, your child may undergo additional testing to assess:
- Behavior
- Hearing
- Learning
- Movement
- Speech
Basic lab testing may be ordered for your child to check for electrolyte changes or signs of infection, or more complicated testing such as genetic tests for specific disorders.
Computed Tomography (CT), also known as a CT scan, is a noninvasive diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of a rotating x-ray scanner and sophisticated computers to produce a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the brain, assessing the brain for tumors, injuries, bleeding, etc.
An EEG test is performed by attaching electrodes to the head. These electrodes detect brain waves and help specialists identify abnormalities in brain activity. EEGs are often used to diagnose epilepsy, sleep disorders and other neurological conditions.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan is atype of nuclear medicine imaging test that can be used to examine various body tissues to identify certain conditions by looking at blood flow, metabolism and oxygen use. PET scans may also be used to see how well the treatment of certain diseases is working.
Treatment
Our pediatric neurology specialist treats children with brain and neurological conditions with a multidisciplinary approach. Together with our colleagues in many other pediatric specialties throughout Rochester Regional Health, we provide our patients and their families with individualized treatment plans.
Medical treatment and therapy options for children with neurological conditions may include:
- Occipital and trigeminal nerve blocks
- Botox
- Trigger point injections
- Concussion treatment
- Neurosurgery
- Neurointerventional surgery
- Neuropsychological counseling
- Stroke care
- Physical therapy & rehabilitation
- Spine care and pain management