Department of Pediatric Neurology, Epileptology and Neurorehabilitation - Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth

About the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Epileptology and Neurorehabilitation at Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth

The Department of Pediatric Neurology, Epileptology and Neurorehabilitation at the Schoen Clinic Vogtareuth provides the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in its areas of specialization. Young patients with diseases of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, and muscles can receive highly qualified medical care here. The department's doctors focus on the treatment of children with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, dystonia, hereditary spastic paraplegia, hypoxic brain injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The department's team of pediatric neurologists works hand in hand with neurosurgeons, orthopedists, spinal surgeons, and radiologists. The department's specialists have a wide range of modern treatments at their command, including botulinum toxin therapy, intrathecal baclofen therapy, and deep brain stimulation. The department's physicians are also skilled in neurological rehabilitation after suffering from a disease of the nervous system. The department's medical team uses all its experience and professional skills to restore the child's health and ensure his or her life without any restrictions. The department ranks among the best in Germany in its field of competence and is also perhaps the only one in Europe that practices not only the treatment of neurological disorders in children, but also subsequent specialized rehabilitation. The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Steffen Berweck.

The treatment of epilepsy in children is a priority task for the department's pediatric neurologists. Epilepsy is a chronic disease in which spontaneous seizures occur due to changes in the electrical activity of the brain. Epilepsy responds well to treatment provided that comprehensive therapy is prescribed, taking into account the individual characteristics of the pathology, and the department's doctors are among the best experts in Europe with rich clinical experience in this field. During their practice, the specialists have successfully treated more than 10,000 children and adolescents with epilepsy, including resistant forms of the disease. The therapeutic process begins with the analysis of the child's family history, a comprehensive diagnosis, and the clarification of information about the intensity, duration, and frequency of epileptic seizures. The main component of epilepsy treatment is drug therapy: a specific antiepileptic drug or a combination of them is prescribed on an individual basis. Strict adherence to the dosage and systemic administration of medications are of crucial importance. The treatment regimen often includes a special diet: a ketogenic diet or the Atkins diet. To consolidate the results of the basic course of treatment, the young patient is offered a neurorehabilitation program, which may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychotherapy, animal therapy, music therapy, and training using robotic equipment.

In some cases, conservative treatment of epilepsy is inappropriate. For example, when epileptic seizures occur against the background of focal cortical dysplasia, brain tissue scarring after hemorrhages, brain tumors, Sturge-Weber syndrome, and other pathological changes, conservative treatments may be ineffective. In such cases, doctors recommend surgery. The department's specialists, in collaboration with neurosurgeons, perform all available surgical procedures for epilepsy: hemispherotomy, lesionectomy, lobectomy, callosotomy, vagus nerve stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation. The optimal type of surgery for a child is determined after a comprehensive diagnosis and an assessment of the risks and benefits of the operation in a specific clinical situation. Operations to treat epilepsy in children have been performed in the department since 1999, and their success rates are very high.

The department's medical team also specializes in the treatment of cerebral palsy (CP), a neurological disease associated with severe impairment of motor function and posture. Pediatric orthopedists are involved in the treatment of young patients with cerebral palsy, which allows for the best therapeutic results. The department's pediatric neurologists focus on the child's condition according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health created by the World Health Organization when developing an individual treatment regimen. The child with cerebral palsy always receives comprehensive treatment aimed at preventing the progression of the disease, achieving the maximum possible restoration of motor functions, and ensuring a high degree of independence for the young patient in everyday life. The treatment regimen for children with cerebral palsy includes drug therapy, botulinum toxin therapy, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy. In some cases, surgery may also be required. For example, the department's pediatric neurologists often perform surgical procedures to implant pumps for continuous administration of medications to reduce spasticity caused by cerebral palsy. In addition, cerebral palsy may provoke the development of other severe neurological disorders, including epilepsy and dystonia, for which the child may require appropriate surgical treatment.

The medical facility also has impressive experience in the treatment of children with hereditary spastic paraplegia. This degenerative disease causes the gradual destruction of the nerve cells in the spinal cord, and in some cases, other structures of the nervous system may be affected as well. Children with hereditary spastic paraplegia are indicated for symptomatic treatment. The therapy aims to eliminate movement restrictions as much as possible and improve the quality of life of the young patient. In most cases, the department's doctors provide conservative treatment. The child undergoes drug therapy, physiotherapeutic treatment, occupational therapy, and botulinum toxin therapy to eliminate spasticity. Surgical treatment may also be sometimes required. The department's doctors conduct individual consultations for children and their parents, during which they talk in detail about the advisability of a particular operation and the expected results of surgery.

The department's clinical focuses include the following:

• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with epilepsy
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with hypoxic brain injuries
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with hereditary spastic paraplegia
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with traumatic brain injuries
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with spina bifida
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with apallic syndrome
• Diagnostics, treatment and neurorehabilitation for children with multiple disabilities due to neurological disorders
• Other medical services