Message from the Director of the Department
Child neurology, or pediatric neurology, treats various pediatric neurological diseases and disorders. Although the importance of child neurology has been well acknowledged in other economically developed countries, hospitals with a department specialized in child neurology remain few in number in Japan. Therefore, we have accepted referrals from various places throughout Japan.
Scope of Target Diseases
We cover pediatric neurological diseases and mainly provide internal treatment. We have continued to achieve prominent results in Japan in the treatment of epilepsy, particularly refractory epilepsy. Developmental disorders, behavior disorders, and cerebral palsy are also important fields. Refractory epilepsy is also treated surgically in collaboration with the Department of Neurosurgery.
Our target diseases are presented below:
• Seizure disorders (pediatric epilepsy, particularly refractory epilepsy, etc.)
• Neuromuscular diseases (peripheral neurological diseases, muscular diseases, etc.)
• Sleep disorders (sleep apnea syndrome, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, etc.)
• Metabolic and degenerative disease and acute encephalopathy
• Cerebrovascular disorder, etc.
Features and Description of Medical Care
Although child neurology has been regarded as a specialty from early times in the United States and Europe, the establishment of a specialized hospital department has been delayed in Japan, exceptionally among developed countries. Only two university hospitals in Japan have a hospital department specializing in child neurology. For that reason, many patients with pediatric neurological disease are referred to us daily from places in western Japan, mainly the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. The outpatient clinic of child neurology treats various pediatric neurological diseases described above. The clinic is open during the morning from Monday to Thursday for initial visits and from Monday to Friday for return visits.
Appointments should be made for electroencephalography (EEG), in principle, either by an attending physician during consultation, or by phone. When a patient is referred to us for the first visit, examinations such as EEG might invariably be performed on a return visit. We still have only 8 beds. Patients must wait for hospital admission.
Although priority will be assigned in cases of emergency, we appreciate your understanding that admission is difficult on the day of the first visit.