Pediatric Neurology

Child Neurology, also known as Pediatric Neurology, is a branch of specialization that aims to prevent, diagnose and treat brain, spinal cord, nerve and muscle diseases in children between the ages of 0-18, newborns, premature babies, infants, school children and adolescents. Many diseases such as brain damages that show symptoms in the womb, during birth or afterwards, stroke-paralysis, neurological developmental disorders (motor developmental delay, cognitive delay, speech delay), seizures, epilepsy, nonepileptic recurrent events (tic disorders, breath-holding spells, etc.), dizziness, headache, muscle and muscle-nerve junction diseases (Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy, Limb girdle muscular dystrophy, congenital myopathy, congenital muscular dystrophy, congenital myasthenic syndrome, etc.), neuropathies and neurological conditions accompanying psychiatric diseases (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, etc.) are the areas of interest of this department. Since growth and development continue in the 0-18 age group, children in this group are followed up in the neurology department at certain periods. For diagnosis, first the patient’s history is listened to in detail and a clinical evaluation is made. With the physical examination, general condition, age-appropriate reactions, eye movements, head size, cranial nerves, motor power, tone and reflexes, as well as balance and sensory system are evaluated. The child/patient’s speech, movement and cognitive ability are examined. After the clinical evaluation and examination, the tests to be performed are determined according to the physician’s request.

Routine blood tests, electroencephalography (EEG), nerve conduction studies and electromyography (EMG), magnetic resonance or computerized tomography imaging, transfontanel ultrasonography, muscle and skin biopsy, metabolic tests and some special genetic analyses (karyotype, microarrayCGH, gene panels, WES-WGS) can be listed as diagnostic methods. It is decided which tests will be given priority in the patient’s follow-up, and a stepwise diagnostic algorithm is followed according to the follow-up.

Diagnosis of diseases, periodic follow-ups