Neuroscience Specialized Clinics
Contact: 1-855-WVU-CARE ext (92273)
Our Care
At WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s, our Neuroscience Center offers specialty clinics and programs to make sure your child has world-class care for every neurological condition.
Our team brings compassionate and state-of-the-art care to all families who need us.
Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Clinic
The WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Clinic is made up of a multidisciplinary team that covers nerve injuries from birth or a traumatic event.
The brachial plexus network of nerves extends to and from the spinal cord, which controls the functions of the arms.
While most common injuries happen at birth, the brachial plexus can also be impacted later in life due to intense traumas like falls or vehicle accidents.
Our team will evaluate each patient during the clinic visit, provide initial and ongoing evaluations, and create a treatment plan for all infants and children with brachial plexus or peripheral nerve injuries.
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s believes in a collaborative approach between neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedists, plastic surgeons, and occupational and physical therapists to provide the latest treatments for our patients.
Conditions we treat
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Peripheral nerve injury from trauma or during other surgical procedures
- Acute and chronic peripheral nerve injury
- Thoracic outlet syndrome – neurogenic or vasogenic
- Nerve tumors: schwannomas, neurofibromas
- Plexiform neurofibromatosis
- And many others
Treatments and services
Most peripheral nerve injuries are resolved on their own.
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s can provide physical or occupational therapy for damaged nerves to aid in the healing process.
Surgery may be needed if a child’s condition doesn’t improve in a few months.
Our team will determine the best advanced surgical options for your child, including:
- Nerve grafts
- Neurolysis/neuroplasty
- Nerve transfers
- Tendon releases and/or transfers
- Muscle transfer
- Joint and/or limb reconstructions
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s will help with each patient’s recovery, offering them therapy services to regain as much function as possible.
Providers
Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Clinic
Children with spasticity experience muscle tightness, contractions, or spasms that can impact their quality of life.
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s is passionate about the children they treat and put each spasticity patient at the center of care.
A multidisciplinary team of experts collaborates on a comprehensive treatment plan to address each child’s individual needs.
Our team includes behavioral medicine and psychiatry, neurology, neurodevelopment, orthopaedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurosurgery, physical and occupational therapy, orthotics, and social services.
Conditions we treat
- Cerebral palsy
- Brain tumor
- Damage to the central nervous system
- Genetic conditions
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spinal cord injury
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
Treatments and services
Treatment for each child depends on their condition and the area of the body affected.
The WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s team will provide advanced diagnostic tests and personalized surgical or nonsurgical treatments to reduce pain and improve mobility.
- Botox injections
- Intrathecal baclofen therapy
- Oral medicine
- Orthopedic surgeries
- Physical therapy
- Serial casting
Resources
To learn more about childhood spasticity and how it’s treated at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s, visit these trusted resources:
Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia Clinic
Patients with Chiari malformation from all over the region choose WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s to receive care from our experienced neurosurgery team.
Thanks to our approach to their immediate and long-term care, most of our patients return to a normal life without restrictions.
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s will work with each family to evaluate their child’s condition and develop a personalized treatment plan. Our team evaluates all the patients’ symptoms and addresses any health concerns parents may have.
Conditions we treat
There are four types of Chiari malformation, but they are each completely separate. Patients do not progress from Type I to Type IV. They are diagnosed based on the different ways the brain sits in the skull.
- Type I (CM-1)
- Type II (CM-II or Arnold-Chiari malformation)
- Type III (CM-III)
- Type IV
Treatments and services
Diagnostic tests, including an MRI or CT scan, will help the WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s team determine the severity of a child’s condition and what treatments they require.
Our experienced pediatric neurosurgeons use sophisticated treatment techniques to reduce the risks of neurological surgeries.
This allows them to treat patients whose conditions were previously considered inoperable.
Resources
For more information about Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, visit:
Providers
Cleft and Craniofacial Center
If your child has a condition that affects their head or face, they need special care.
The WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Cleft and Craniofacial Center is committed to the care of infants and children who are born with, or develop, craniofacial conditions.
We’re one of the only cleft and craniofacial teams in the state that is approved by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA). This means our team has the highest level of training in craniofacial surgery. It also recognizes our commitment to providing the best quality care for your little one.
Cleft and craniofacial abnormalities are complex and can affect everything from an infant airway to brain development.
Our Cleft and Craniofacial Center addresses all these health issues with a team that includes complex care pediatricians, dentists, dermatologists, general pediatricians, neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, pulmonologists, sleep medicine specialists, and more.
We make it easy for every child to get the care they need without going to multiple clinics.
Conditions we treat
- Cleft lip and palate
- Dental problems
- Hearing loss and infections
- Feeding trouble
- Psychological concerns
- Speech and language delay
- Craniofacial dysostosis syndromes
- Craniosynostosis
- Ear deformities
- Encephalocele
- Fractures of the face or skull
- Fibrous dysplasia and skull masses
- Hemifacial microsomia
- Hemangiomas
- Hypertelorism (craniofrontonasal dysplasia)
- Mandibular hypoplasia
- Nasal deformities
- Oculoauricular vertebral spectrum (Goldenhar syndrome)
- Orthognathic/jaw anomalies (Pierre Robin syndrome)
- Plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome)
- Pierre Robin syndrome (sequence)
- Plagiocephaly
- Treacher Collins syndrome
- Vascular malformations
Treatments and services
We offer care for every stage of your child’s life. In many cases, our Cleft and Craniofacial Center can diagnose skull or facial issues before birth. We work closely with the prenatal and perinatal teams to plan for a safe birth and create an effective treatment plan.
Your child will also have access to the WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, pediatric anesthesiologists, and a pediatric critical care unit.
As a family-centered program, we keep parents involved in every step of your child’s treatment and help you understand what you expect as they recover. Our mission is to help all children grow and thrive.
Resources
For more information and resources about cleft and craniofacial conditions, visit any of the following sites:
Spina Bifida Clinic
Your loved one will receive compassionate care from our team of specialists. Pediatric neurosurgeons, urologists, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, complex care pediatricians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and social service professionals all work together to ensure the best possible outcome.
Types of spina bifida include:
- Open spina bifida, or myelomeningocele, is the most serious type. A pocket filled with fluid and part of the spinal cord and nerves bulges through an opening in your baby’s back. Surgery is typically required within the first few days of life.
- Meningocele causes a pocket filled with fluid to bulge, creating a lump or sac on the back.
- Closed spina bifida, or spina bifida occulta, includes lipomyelomeningocele and other tethered cord syndromes. Skin covers the area, and surgery is typically performed later in infancy.
Some types of spina bifida are diagnosed during pregnancy. Others are diagnosed after your baby is born or even in late childhood or adulthood.
Conditions we treat
We help your child be as strong and healthy as possible, no matter what. We offer advanced care for all conditions related to spina bifida. These include:
- Arnold-Chiari malformation (brain tissue extends into spinal canal)
- Caudal regression (abnormal development of lower spine)
- Childhood syringomyelia (cyst on the spinal cord)
- Encephalocele (sac-like protrusions of the brain)
- Hydrocephalus (water on the brain)
- Lipomyelomeningocele (abnormal growth of fat on the spinal cord)
- Lipomeningocele (defects in the spinal cord)
- Myelocystocele (skin-covered mass)
- Neurogenic bladder/bowel (lack of bladder/bowel control from brain, spinal cord, or nerve problem
- Sacral dysgenesis (abnormality of the lower spine)
- Tethered spinal cord syndromes
Your child will receive expert care for disorders that may result from spina bifida, including:
- Coordination problems or weakness
- Headaches
- Incontinence and urinary tract infections
- Learning disabilities
- Leg deformity or mobility concerns
- Seizures
Treatments and services
Because kids born with spina bifida have unique needs, we treat each person as an individual at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s. This means that treatment is designed specifically for the needs, wishes, and goals of each patient and family.
Advanced technologies are used to diagnose and treat spina bifida.
Diagnosis
- Maternal/fetal ultrasound
- Maternal/fetal MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein test to confirm elevated levels in the mother’s blood
Treatments
- Fetal or infant surgery to repair spina bifida
- Spinal cord surgery for release of tethered cord
- Neurosurgery to relieve hydrocephalus and Chiari malformation
- Urologic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to ensure optimal urinary function
- Orthopedic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to optimize functional ambulation, deformity correction, and positioning/transfers
Long-term, longitudinal follow-up care is emphasized throughout childhood and adolescence.
Resources
At WVU Medicine Children’s, we are always here to support you and your child. Here are some additional resources to help you learn more about spina bifida, what to expect for your child, and where you can find additional support near you.
Providers
Vascular Anomalies Program
The Vascular Anomalies Program at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s is the only one of its kind in West Virginia.
We offer the most advanced treatments for all types of vascular tumors and vascular malformations.
Our team treats newborns and children as well as adults who were born with vascular anomalies but did not receive treatment as children.
Effectively treating vascular anomalies is a team approach. Our world-class physicians in dermatology, hematology, interventional neuroradiology, oculoplastic surgery, oncology, neurointerventional surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery work together to create the best possible outcomes for our patients.
We also work closely with the WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Complex Care team to coordinate specialty care for children with other health conditions.
Conditions we treat
Vascular anomalies are divided into vascular malformations and vascular tumors.
We treat conditions including:
- Angiofibromas
- Angiosarcomas
- Arteriovenous malformations
- Capillary malformations
- Congenital hemangiomas
- Glomangiomas (glomus cell tumor)
- Hemangioendotheliomas
- Infantile hemangiomas (strawberry hemangiomas)
- Kaposi’s sarcomas
- Lymphatic malformations
- Pyogenic granulomas (lobular capillary hemangiomas)
- Venous malformations
Treatments and services
The best way to treat vascular anomalies is to address them as early as possible in a child’s life.
The specialists at WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s have experience treating vascular malformations and tumors in the first few days and weeks after birth.
We offer laser therapies, including sclerotherapy and embolization. WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s is the only place to find some of these therapies in the region.
Patients can also benefit from interventional neuroradiology, which is minimally invasive.
Most vascular anomalies can be treated with a combination of medication, laser therapy, and interventional neuroradiology.
Fewer than 10 percent of children and adults will need surgery.