About Us

The Complex Epilepsy Team Center (CETC) is a CCS clinic for children with medically intractable epilepsy. Staffed by epileptologists, nurse practitioners, dieticians, social workers, and nurses, the CETC specializes in the treatment of epilepsy in children who do not respond to conventional epilepsy medications. Treatment options offered at the CETC include 1) evaluation for epilepsy surgery, 2) evaluation and management of the Ketogenic Diet and other dietary treatments of epilepsy, and 3) neuromodulation, including the Vagal Nerve Stimulator.

Mitochondrial disorders are the most common type of inborn error of metabolism and can cause a wide range of problems including failure to thrive, gastrointestinal problems, weakness, muscle cramps, fatigue, hearing loss, visual loss, loss of balance and coordination, seizures, and learning delays. The Mitochondrial Disorders Clinic at Children's Health cares for children with diagnosed or suspected mitochondrial disorders, providing assistance and guidance with testing and therapy. The clinic is directed by Dr. David Michelson.

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that causes excessive growth of different tissues of the body. Neurofibromatosis Type I has dark skin spots which appear soon after birth with other findings such as developmental problems, learning disabilities, bony growth abnormalities, scoliosis, hormone abnormalities, and benign tumors in the brain, nerves, eyes and skin developing as the child gets older. Neurofibromatosis type II is characterized by tumors of the eighth cranial nerves, which affect hearing with an average age of onset in the teen years. The Neurofibromatosis Clinic at LLUCH cares for both NF I and NF II patients. Dr. Stanford Shu is the clinic Director.

The Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinics at Loma Linda University Health assess and treat children and adolescents with genetic and acquired disorders involving the muscles, nerves, and neuromuscular junctions such as congenital myopathy, muscular dystrophy, peripheral neuropathy, and myasthenia gravis. To provide comprehensive care, our Pediatric Team Center clinic provides access to pediatric neurology, pulmonology, cardiology, nutrition, social work, and physical and occupational therapy. The clinic assists families with entry into research studies both at LLU and elsewhere and coordinates provision of novel therapies such as Exondys51 and Spinraza. Satellite clinics in Upland, Murrieta, Hesperia, and Indio are available to improve ease of access.

Muscular dystrophy

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinic at Children's Health has been caring for patients with neuromuscular disorders for over 30 years. The most common disorders seen include Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and myotonic dystrophy. This clinic is directed by Dr. David Michelson. There is also a focus on the orthopedic and rehabilitation needs of children with these disorders while working closely with rehabilitation medicine and organizations such as California Children's Services.

The pediatric autoimmune encephalitis clinic at Loma Linda University Health is dedicated to treating children and adolescents with NMDA receptor encephalitis, limbic encephalitis and associated neuro-immunological diseases. Our clinic is co-managed by pediatric neurologists and pediatric rheumatologists. To facilitate comprehensive care our team also includes pediatric rehabilitation physicians and neuropsychologists.

Recurrent headaches can be disruptive to a child's life and keep them from fully participating in everyday childhood activities, resulting in missed school, lower academic performance, difficulty sleeping, and changes to family life. The Pediatric Headache Clinic utilizes the latest treatments for acute attacks and preventive therapies, as well as providing headache education and guidance for lifestyle changes so that children and families can learn to manage their headaches in order to help maximize the potential growth and development of each child. Dr. Priscilla Chee provides the evaluation and management of the pediatric patients at the Pediatric Headache Clinic.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is usually considered an adult onset disease. However, about five percent of people with MS develop disease symptoms before the age of 18. Since MS is not widely recognized as a childhood disorder, diagnosis is often missed or delayed. In addition, many of its symptoms are similar to those of other pediatric neurological conditions. An estimated 8,000-10,000 children have multiple sclerosis in the United States, and another 10,000-15,000 experience disorders that may be related to MS. Children with MS can experience weakness, fatigue, numbness and tingling, vision problems, loss of balance, difficulty concentrating or remembering, and seizures. Many of these symptoms are "invisible," vary in intensity, and can come and go.

The Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at Loma Linda University Health assesses and treats children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis and related disorders such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and neuromyelitis optica. To provide comprehensive care our team includes pediatric neurologists, pediatric neuro-ophthalmologists, pediatric rehabilitation physicians and neuropsychologists. The clinic is a member of the United States Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers and collaborates with other scientists investigating these diseases. We coordinate with our adult multiple sclerosis clinic to ensure smooth transitions of care.

The Pediatric Neuro-Assessment Program (PNAP) is a comprehensive assessment and diagnostic program developed to address the unique needs of preschool and school-aged children with academic or behavioral problems. PNAP has successfully helped over 200 children obtain necessary interventions to optimize their development and to identify etiologies of academic or behavioral concerns.

PNAP utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach that integrates neurological, psychosocial, cognitive, and neuropsychological evaluations to develop individualized treatment plans, ensure continuity of follow-up, and provide appropriate medication management.

For questions or appointments for the Pediatric Neuro-Assessment Program, contact (909) 651-1899.

The Pediatric Neurology Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorder Center (CPMDC) at Loma Linda University Health aims to excel in the care of children with complex motor disorders. These include children affected by cerebral palsy and other movement disorders manifest by dystonia, choreoathetosis, ataxia, and other motor disorders. The CPMDC aims to coordinate care starting as early as the prenatal period with care provided over a person's infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The CPMDC aims to provide multidisciplinary and comprehensive care for children and families affected by complex motor disorders.

The Pediatric Stroke Clinic at Children's Health follows children of all ages who have had acute strokes. Despite the thought that a stroke is an "old person's disease," it is not an uncommon event in children. Strokes in a child may have variable presentation and are not always recognized as a stroke. Several of the child neurologists at LLUH care for these patients, including Dr. Ashwal and Dr. Gamil Fteeh, both of whom have special expertise in this area and are members of the International Pediatric Stroke Study group, an international organization that promotes research in pediatric stroke.

The Pediatric Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI) Clinic's primary purpose is to assist children who have developed physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments as a result of traumatic brain injury. Dr. Stephen Ashwal, the clinic director, has over 40 years of clinical practice in pediatric neurology and is internationally recognized for his expertise in the field of pediatric TBI.

The Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic at Children's Health provides care for children and adults with tuberous sclerosis, a multi-system disorder that frequently affects brain function, causing seizures, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Other commonly affected organs include the kidneys, lungs, heart, and skin. The clinic meets weekly. All patients receive a comprehensive evaluation by Dr. Stephen Ashwal. When other organ systems are affected, patients are referred for care to the appropriate pediatric or adult specialist. In addition, as complex epilepsy is common in individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis, patients are frequently referred to the pediatric and adult epilepsy services for comprehensive evaluations to see if they may be candidates for epilepsy surgery.

The vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) is an implantable device used for the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy. Patients undergo rigorous evaluation to ensure that their seizures are not amenable to surgical resection and that VNS implantation is an optimal choice. Following implantation, the patient is followed closely for VNS setting adjustments to maximize seizure control and, when possible, decrease medications. Approximately 160 patients at LLUCH have VNS devices. These devices are managed by all the pediatric epileptologists (Dr. Loeb, Tang-Wai, Pichon, and Sallowm), as well as several of the pediatric neurologists (Drs. Shu and Michelson). There is a weekly VNS clinic where patients of any provider can be scheduled for VNS adjustment, while long-term care is continued by the patient’s primary neurologist.