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.

A diagnostic procedure that measures muscle response or electrical activity in response to a nerve’s stimulation of the muscle. During the procedure, brief electrical impulses are applied to the skin at different sites to measure muscle responsiveness. Results can help diagnose nerve dysfunction, muscle dysfunction, or problems with nerve-to-muscle signal transmission.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a procedure that uses a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the body. It’s used to diagnose problems in many areas of the body.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type 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.

A noninvasive technique that measures the speed of blood flow in blood vessels and arteries to assess blood vessel spasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage and other types of stroke.