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Child Neurology
Research
Research is an integral part of the Section of Child Neurology. Research enables the Section to fulfill its mission as a component of the Department of Pediatrics at a major research university. Current projects include both clinical and basic neuroscience investigations.
Basic Neuroscience Research
Drs. Timothy Benke, Brian Tseng, Audrey Yee and Andrew White conduct basic neuroscience laboratory research, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health and other extramural grant funding.
Dr. Benke's laboratory studies the function of synapses, the primary means of communication between neurons in the brain. Discoveries include mechanisms for synaptic changes that are likely associated with learning and memory. Research is directed at discovering how excitatory synapses change with development and following seizures. Results are likely to help prevent the effects of early-life seizures, which can include learning impairment and epilepsy, but also understand the synaptic mechanisms underlying mental retardation.
Dr. Brian Tseng's research interests are Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), which is the most common and severe progressive muscular dystrophy to affect children. Dr. Tseng's laboratory investigates the mdx mouse, an animal homolog model of DMD, which lacks the same dystrophin protein but is able to resist the severity of muscular dystrophy. Using microarray, bioinformatics, molecular biology and transgenic mouse technology, Dr. Tseng aims to uncover why the mdx mouse is not crippled. The long-term goals will be to elucidate the differential underpinnings in the mdx mouse skeletal muscle (from the lab-bench) and exploit such knowledge to translate into better understanding and potential novel therapeutics for boys with DMD (at the bedside).
Dr. Audrey Yee's research is directed at understanding the basic mechanisms of anticonvulsants and antiepileptogenic compounds and the cellular mechanisms of epilepsy.
Dr. Andrew White's research is in the area of epileptogenesis and neuroprotection. He currently uses an in vivo animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy to examine the functional outcome of neuroprotection after an acute event. He is specifically interested in the area of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury. He is experienced with multiple in vivo monitoring systems including radiotelemetry and tethered animal video-EEG systems.
Clinical Research
Dr. Levisohn is a Principal Investigator for clinical epilepsy research supported by internal and extramural funding. He is currently conducting clinical trials investigating childhood absence epilepsy, new antiepileptic drugs for use in children, and investigating health-related quality of life for children with epilepsy and their families.
During his many years at The Children's Hospital, Dr. Moe has explored and published on clinical child neurology, including spike wave stupor, infantile polymoclonia-opsoclonus syndrome and encephalitis. In addition, Dr. Moe has written numerous articles and book chapters on pediatric neurology.
Dr. Pramote Laoprasert is pursuing clinical research related to neuroimagery in patients with epilepsy.
Neuropsychology Research
The neuropsychologists within the Section are involved in research regarding the effects of bone marrow transplantation on cognitive development, quality of life and cognitive changes associated with brain tumors and their treatment, as well as cognitive functioning subsequent to surgical resection for intractable epilepsy.
Dr. Richard Boada is also involved in a National Institutes of Health-funded longitudinal study of speech and reading disorders. The research is designed to identify shared genetic, cognitive and environmental factors that explain the comorbidity between phonological disorder and dyslexia. Molecular genetic analyses are being conducted to identify genes that may be pleiotropic and confer risk for both of these disorders. This research will likely allow for earlier identification of those children who will develop literacy problems in school and, in so doing, can promote earlier and more efficacious treatment.
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