Neuroimmunology Clinic for Children (NICC)
The Neuroimmunology Clinic for Children (NICC) pages on this site cover children and teens with immune conditions of the brain, spinal cord or optic nerves. This page explains what that kind of care generally involves and where families can find each guide.
Clinic details and clinician profiles are being updated. Until they are back, this page sticks to general information that holds true for pediatric neuroimmunology care anywhere.
What pediatric neuroimmunology covers
Pediatric neuroimmunology is the care of children whose immune system attacks or inflames part of the nervous system. Some of these illnesses come on over days. Others return in attacks over years. Each one needs a careful work-up, because several conditions can look alike at first.
| Condition | What it can affect | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple sclerosis (MS) in children and teens | Brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, often in attacks | MS symptoms and causes |
| MOG antibody disease (MOGAD), including ADEM | Optic nerves, spinal cord and brain | MOGAD: what to know |
| Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) | Optic nerves and spinal cord | Neuromyelitis optica |
| Transverse myelitis | Spinal cord | Transverse myelitis |
| Optic neuritis | Optic nerve and vision | Optic neuritis |
| Autoimmune encephalitis | Brain: behavior, memory, sleep, movement, seizures | Autoimmune encephalitis |
| Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) | Spinal cord gray matter, causing sudden limb weakness | AFM explained |
Sources: NINDS: transverse myelitis; NINDS: neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; MedlinePlus: multiple sclerosis; CDC: about acute flaccid myelitis.
Who is on a pediatric neuroimmunology team
Children with these conditions often need more than one kind of specialist. A pediatric neurologist usually leads the medical side. Many teams also include nurses or physician assistants who coordinate care, and psychologists or neuropsychologists who look at learning, memory, mood and school needs. Eye doctors, rehabilitation therapists and social workers often join when a child's vision, movement or daily life is affected.
One person on the team usually acts as the main contact between visits. Families find it useful to know who that is, and who covers nights and weekends.
How children usually reach a specialist team
Most children arrive by one of two roads. Some get sick fast, with sudden weakness, vision loss, seizures or confusion, and are first seen in an emergency department or admitted to a hospital. The specialist team often meets them there. Others have symptoms that build more slowly or come and go, and a pediatrician or general neurologist sends a referral once the pattern points toward an immune cause.
Either way, the referring doctor usually sends notes, scan reports and lab results ahead of the first visit. Families can help by checking that those papers really went, and by keeping their own copies.
What a first visit usually looks at
A first neuroimmunology visit is mostly about the story of the illness. The team wants to know what changed, when it started, how fast it moved and what has helped. They review MRI scans, blood and spinal fluid results, and eye exams that were done before. Then they decide what is still missing.
Families can make that visit far more useful by bringing the records with them. Our appointments page has a checklist of what to bring.
Questions families often bring
A short list of questions keeps a busy visit on track. These are some that parents commonly ask a pediatric neuroimmunology team:
- What do you think is causing this, and what else is still on the list?
- Which test results matter most, and are any still pending?
- Is this likely to be a single episode, or something to watch over time?
- Which new symptoms should make us call you, and which mean the emergency department?
- Who should the school talk to about learning or physical needs?
Guides for families
These plain guides explain the conditions a pediatric neuroimmunology team sees most. Start with pediatric neuroimmunology for an overview, or what is neuroimmunology for the basics. Older posts from the clinic's news page are in the NICC news archive.
If a child has sudden weakness, new vision loss, trouble breathing, a seizure or is hard to wake, call 911 or head straight to an emergency room. Do not wait for a clinic appointment.
Sources: AE Alliance; CDC: about acute flaccid myelitis.