The Pediatric Neurology Institute at the Sheba Medical Center is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of children with acute and chronic Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Three senior board certified pediatric neurologists staff the Pediatric Neurology Institute providing a consultative service for hospital inpatients as well as undertaking specialty outpatient clinics.
The institute's clinics provide comprehensive investigative diagnosis and treatment for neurological disorders such as Headaches, Epilepsy, Neuromuscular Disorders, Peripheral Nervous System Disorders, Inflammatory Disorders of the central nervous system, Developmental Delay, Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), Autism, Genetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Neurometabolic Conditions.
Within the framework of the services of the Sheba Medical Center, the clinical service of the Pediatric Neurology Institute is complimented by the availability of sophisticated diagnostic testing including:
- Electroencephalography - both routine awake and sleep EEGs, as well as long term and video EEG monitoring.
- Brainstem auditory evoked and visual evoked responses in children with suspected hearing or visual impairment.
- Electromyography - nerve conduction and electromyograms for Neuromuscular Disorders.
- Neuroradiological services including MRI, MRS and function MRI.
- Brain SPECT and PET studies.
- Metabolic and genetic testing.
The activities of the Pediatric Neurology Institute and the management of those patients are furthermore coordinated with a large number of inpatient and outpatient services at the Sheba Medical Center including the Adult Neurology Department, the Pediatric Rehabilitation Department, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit and the Psychosomatic Disorders Department, the Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit and the Hemato-Oncology Department with its extensive Neuro-Oncology patients.
Multidisciplinary clinics are undertaken together with the Genetic Institute and the movement and the Metabolic Disorder Units.
The wide range of clinical services together with the state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities available, enable the provision of a comprehensive Pediatric Neurological service for the diagnosis and treatment of the most complex Pediatric Neurological Disorders.
Pediatric Epilepsy Service
The Pediatric Epilepsy Service provides a multidisciplinary approach for the diagnosis and treatment of Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders in children. The comprehensive management program includes Pharmacological Therapies and monitoring of drug levels and dosages, initiation of new drug therapies, Ketogenic Diet Therapy and Epileptic Surgery, when indicated, in cooperation with the Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit.
The social worker and neuropsychologist provide support and assessment of the child's needs in order to improve and attain an optimal quality of life. Parent and children's support groups are being developed together with the Israel Epilepsy Association
Rett Syndrome Center
The Neurology Unit coordinates the Israel Rett Syndrome Center for the evaluation and treatment of children with Rett Syndrome. The service is provided jointly with Beit Issie Shapiro in cooperation with the Rett Syndrome Parent's Association.
The aim of the center is to disseminate information and knowledge about the syndrome among parents and professionals, and to provide a multidisciplinary evaluation and therapeutic service, including neurological, gastrointestinal, endocrinological and orthopedic specialists. The center furthermore provides educational support and paramedical therapies for children with this syndrome.
Pervasive Development Disorders (P.D.D.) Clinic
Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) have early childhood onset of deficits in social interaction, language and adaptive behaviors, with different level of severity and patterns of developmental delays. The diagnosis of PDD is by clinical tools and has been divided into five diagnostic subtypes. What has become known as Autism Spectrum Disorders essentially consists of three subtypes: Autistic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome and PDD-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).
The same developmental and behavioral characteristics can be part of several genetic or familial syndromes, such as Fragile X, Tuberous Sclerosis or Down Syndrome. Initial evaluation of children with PDD in the Neurological Clinic provides diagnosis, diagnostic options to rule out other disorders that present with similar deficits, and guidance in regards to treatment options. Some difficulties are specific to developmental stages of children with Autism or PDD: such as Epilepsy, Attention Problems, Impulsivity, Abusive Behavior, etc. During follow up of children in the PDD clinic we provide treatment options for those difficulties.
| Institute at a Glance |
| Number of Outpatients per Year - 2200 |
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Director - Dr. Bruria Gidoni-Ben-Zeev
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| Address - The Edmond & Lily Safra Children's Hospital |
| E-mail - Bruria.BenZeev@sheba.health.gov.il |
| Tel - 927-3-530-2577 | |
