The World of Pediatric Neurology

Denisa Lutz

Magnet English Ten

Mrs. Graves

Denisa Lutz

June 8, 2016What I already knew/What I wanted to know

A pediatrician, the first person committed to your health and wellbeing, the doctor most
important to your care and development. Since I was a child I dreamed of becoming a
pediatrician to help people like myself recover from illness or disorders. I decided to look into
the field of pediatric neurology, a field I hope to enter after college. The field of pediatrics is a
very important to our society. A pediatrician is a doctor that specializes in the care of children,
people from the age of 0-21. I went into this study with quite a few questions about the role of a
pediatric neurologist and the specifics of their field of study. While I already knew the basic role
of a pediatrician and their relationship with patients, I soon realized not everything was clear to
me about the specifics of their job. What are the qualifications to become a pediatrician? What
do neurologists specialize in within the human body? I already had the vague understanding that
they worked with the brain and the nerves from prior personal experience, but I wanted to use
this opportunity to get a clearer understanding of the role of a pediatric neurologist. From my
previous knowledge that neurologists work with the brain, I decided I wanted to look into the
specific functions of the brain. What are specific parts of the brain? What functions correspond
with each specific part of the brain?
Once I decided what background information I needed and with all my specific research
questions out of the way, I developed one main research question. I used this question to steer all
my research, and it helped me stay on task when going through all the materials open to me.
What is the role of a pediatric neurologist?

Denisa Lutz

The story of my search

My search took me about 4 months. I began my research by doing some background
reading on google scholars. That site provided me with a variety of different case studies, so it
was easy to read through them to acquire a better understanding of the field of neurology. This
website allowed me to fine tune my questions a bit, so I was better equipped to look into what I
really wanted to know. Most of the information I found, while not cited in this document to lack
of relevancy, was a helpful starting point on my journey.
From there I did an online search combining the terms neurology and pediatrician in the
Google search engine. Of the many sites that were available, I chose to use the Rochester
university web site. There the information on neurology, well organized, easy to understand, and
was a very interesting read, which was beneficial for me to further develop an interest in the
field. Its stories about the ability to personalize your work really showed me that pediatric
neurology was a great field to go into. I already knew that I was interested in becoming a
pediatrician, but what I found really cemented that fact. A pediatrician isn't just the person that
writes prescriptions for your child, they're an important part of early development of a child.
They go through specific training and schooling so they can work with the child and detect
problems they might be forced to face.
I really liked looking into Pediatric or Child neurology, as I want to become a pediatric
neurologist in the near future. The field is really open to personal interests and very open to
scientific research. When I began to look into the brain, I already knew that it was going to be a
hard and complicated thing to study, but I really didnt understand the depth of complexity the
brain holds. Using basic medical handbooks, like greys anatomy, I divided the brain into three
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main parts. In my next search I looked into the different lobes of the brain, and their specific
purposes.
Finally my search led me to the central nervous system. The central nervous system is the
vast and complex system that keeps us running smoothly, and is just as important as the brain. I
started by looking into Greys anatomy again, because it had been so helpful to my search in the
past. I discovered that with a basic understanding of medical vocabulary, even the most complex
papers could be decoded and useful to a high school student like myself. Once I had finished my
inquiry on the central nervous system, I had discovered everything I needed to know about my
topic. I had reached out to a medical professional to see if we could discuss this vast and exciting
field, but it was of no surprise to me to hear that they had a very busy schedule and could not do
the interview until after my paper was due. While I was a little frustrated when I found out that I
would not be able to get an interview with a professional, it made it clear that in the future I
should try and plan ahead to give myself more time. This experience taught me a lot about
myself as a researcher, I tend to try and get all of my work down at once instead of working on it
in increments. This made it difficult for me to work with my blog and Mrs. Graves deadlines.
But I am so thankful for such a wonderful opportunity to flourish as researcher before beginning
my senior project. So, even though I wasnt able to interview a professional I was able to
discover the need to work on my time management and my ability to adapt in the face of
adversaries.
The Search Results
A general pediatrician is a child's physician who provides preventive health maintenance
for healthy children, like checkups and physicals, and medical care for children who are acutely

Denisa Lutz

or chronically ill. Pediatricians manage the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their
patients, in every stage of development, until the child is over 21 years old. Pediatricians tend to
focus on reducing infant and child mortality, controlling infectious disease, fostering healthy
lifestyles, and easing the difficulties of children and adolescents with chronic conditions.
Pediatricians are concerned with more than physical well-being. They also are involved with the
prevention, early detection, and management of other problems that affect children and
adolescents. Some of the major problems that plague children and adolescents are behavioral
difficulties, developmental disorders, social stresses, and depression or anxiety disorders. In
order to ensure that a child is cared for in every aspect, Pediatricians do not work alone. They
oftentimes collaborate with specialists that focus on certain areas of health so they can treat
patients to the best of their ability. By focusing on a specific area of the body these doctors are
more equipped to diagnose and treat chronic disease. Some specialist include Neurologists,
dermatologists, orthopedists, and many others.1

Pediatricians follow the same medical training regime as other doctors. Many complete
bachelor's degree programs and then go on to pursue medical degrees from an accredited medical
school. Most pediatricians obtain a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). This requires four years of
medical school and 3-8 years of internships and residencies. A residency, similar to internship, is
professional training under the supervision of senior physician educators. Residency is an
important part of medical training, because it provides doctors with real world practice and the
practical knowledge of common signs and symptoms of complex diseases. While paired with an
experienced physician, new doctors are able to practice treating complex diseases and syndromes
and learn the best way to treat common illnesses. Upon graduation, pediatricians must pass the

Denisa Lutz

U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) in order to practice as physicians. Pediatricians

may choose between pursuing an M.D. degree program or a D.O. degree program. Both offer
general medical knowledge and the opportunity to specialize in pediatrics. These medical degree
programs also require pediatric internships and residencies that last several years and provide
clinical rotations in general pediatrics, infancy care, and a chosen sub-specialization such as
pediatric cardiology, pediatric emergency care, and pediatric dermatology. Those wishing to
pursue certification in a sub-specialty area complete additional years of residency in that
specialty.2

For this paper, I decided to look into the field of pediatrics, while focusing on the sub
specialty of pediatric neurology. After completing general medical school to become a
pediatrician, child neurologists enter training through the National Resident Matching Program
(NRMP). Trainees can enter the match at several points during their fourth year of medical
school, after 1-3 years of pediatric training, or after the completion of pediatric residency. The
most common pathway for child neurologists is to enter training during their fourth year of
medical school. Prerequisites for training in child neurology consist of 2 years of residency
training in pediatrics, 1 year of residency training in general internal medicine and 1 year of
residency training in pediatrics or 1 year of pediatrics plus 1 year of basic neuroscience training.
Due to such basic prerequisites, there is a lot of flexibility in the schooling of a child neurologist.
This is one of the reasons I am so interested in this field of study, due to the vast flexibility this
job offers.

Denisa Lutz

Neurology is the branch of medicine or biology that deals with the anatomy, functions,
and organic disorders of nerves and the nervous system. Pediatric neurologists are neurologists
that specialize in the neurological care and treatment of children from ages 0-21. The discipline
of Pediatric Neurology, also called Child Neurology, encompasses disorders of the brain, spinal
cord, peripheral nerve and muscle affecting infants, children and adolescents. The patients seen
by a Child Neurologist varies from those with common, relatively straightforward conditions,
such as cerebral palsy or migraine, to those with rare or complex conditions, such as metabolic or
degenerative disorders. I took a particular interest to the care and treatment of migraines, as of
my immediate family suffers from migraines, myself included.

As stated earlier, neurology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study and
treatment of disorders of the nervous system. The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated
system that regulates and coordinates body activities. It has two major divisions the central and
peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord. The
peripheral nervous system includes all other sensory receptors, such as the eyes, ears and skin.3
many neurologists specialize in one area such as strokes, the brain stem, epilepsy, or sleeping
disorders. While pediatric neurology is a subspecialty of pediatrics, Child Neurologists can also
subspecialize in such areas as neonatal neurology, epileptology, headache, neurogenetics,
neurodevelopmental disabilities, or pediatric neuromuscular diseases. Many academic Child
Neurologists enter careers in laboratory-based or clinical/translational research. Thus, divisions
of child neurology can be a home for individuals with MD/PhD degrees or other advanced
research training. As neurogenetics has moved from the era of identifying single gene disorders
to the studies of complex traits, such as autism spectrum disorder and Tourette syndrome,

Denisa Lutz

opportunities for both basic and clinical research in child neurology continue to expand. New
and emerging therapies require Child Neurologists who will join teams of investigators as they
identify evidence-based approaches for many neurological conditions.4
In order to better understand the work of pediatric neurologists, I researched the parts of
the central nervous system. A major player in the central nervous system, the brain is divided into
three parts the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem. The cerebrum makes up 75% of the
brain by volume, and it is divided into two hemispheres. The left and right hemispheres are
linked by a large bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum, and also by other smaller
connections called commissures. Most of the important elements of the cerebrum, are split into
pairs in the left and right hemispheres. The two hemispheres look similar, but have slight
differences in structure and perform different functions. The right hemisphere generally controls
the left side of the body, while the left hemisphere controls the right side. I noticed while
researching the cerebellum that I had taken left and right brain personality quizzes. Currently the
idea has been popularized that one hemisphere controls creativity and the other controls logic,
but there is not enough research to back up such theories. But I still enjoy those personality tests
even though they arent that accurate.
Rumors have been going around that you only use 10% of your brain, but they are only
rumors. That is why it is very important that you dont injure your brain, because every part of
the brain serves an important purpose. The cerebrum is made up of many different sections,
called lobes. The frontal lobe is involved in conscious thought and higher mental functions such
as decision-making and plays an important part in processing short term memories and retaining
longer term memories which are not task-based. The parietal lobe involved in integrating sensory
information from the various senses, and in the manipulation of objects in determining spatial
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sense and navigation. The temporal lobe is involved with the senses of smell and sound, the
processing of complex stimuli like faces and scenes, and plays a key role in the formation of long
term memory. The occipital lobe mainly involved with the eyes and sight.
The cerebellum is very important for balance and motor control, but is also involved in
attention, language, emotional functions such as regulating fear and pleasure responses and in the
processing of procedural memories. It is a relatively small portion of the brain -- about ten
percent of the total weight, but it contains roughly half of the brain's neurons, specialized cells
that transmit information via electrical signals. Damage to the cerebellum, does not cause
paralysis or intellectual impairment, but it might lead to a lack of balance, slower movements,
and tremors. Complex physical tasks would become unsteady and halting.
The brainstem includes the medulla, the pons and the midbrain, controls breathing,
digestion, heart rate and other autonomic processes, as well as connecting the brain with the
spinal cord and the rest of the body. The stem-like part of the base of the brain that is connected
to the spinal cord. The brain stem controls the flow of messages between the brain and the rest of
the body, and it also controls basic body functions such as breathing, swallowing, heart rate,
blood pressure, consciousness, and whether one is awake or sleepy.5
The other half of the central nervous system is the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a
cylindrical bundle of nerve fibers and associated tissue that is enclosed in the spine and connects
nearly all parts of the body to the brain, with which it forms the central nervous system.
Neurologists deal with spinal cord injuries and conditions such as Cancer, arthritis, and
osteoporosis. My grandmother has osteoporosis so I have firsthand experience with this disease.
A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden , traumatic blow to the spine that
fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced
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bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Most injuries to
the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and
compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy axons -- extensions of nerve cells
that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. An
injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will
allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.6
After concluding my research on pediatric neurology, I have decided that I am definitely
interested in working in this felid after college. I like the flexibility the job offers and the
opportunities for research and personalization. I am also personally interested in the functions of
the brain and its complexity. There is so much more we have to discover about the brain, and we
are barely scratching the surface right now. Id love to be someone who discovers one of the
untold secrets of the brain. I have Mrs. Graves and the Ocean Lakes Math and Science Academy
to thank for that.
My Growth as a Researcher
I learned so much about myself as a researcher and about research itself while writing
this research paper. While I originally estimated that this research would be quick and easy, I
know now that research is very time consuming, although not very difficult. I think that I have
learned some new time management skills from this experience, and the use of a blog. The blog
required that I spread out my research in small increments, instead of doing it all at once like I
had originally planned on doing. Consequently, due to the nature of my blog I had to be a lot
more organized than I usually am. I definitely see the appeal to keeping the research neat and
organized, it made writing this final paper so much easier than I thought it would be. Ill
definitely be utilizing my blog senior year so that my senior project will be less stressful. I have
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also learned that its best to ask people for interviews as early as possible, so you can work
around any problems that may arise. Finally as is the case for almost every paper I write, I think I
grew as a writer as well as a researcher. This is a much longer paper than I am used to writing,
which made it very important that everything flowed together. Reading through my paper and
my peers papers allowed me to compare different writing techniques, and I have a lot of ideas
for my next essay. Finally, for the first time I was given the opportunity to completely delve into
a topic that I was interested in, and I have learned that this this is something I love. I love it
enough to write 12 pages about it.

Citations
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Denisa Lutz

1. What is a Pediatrician? (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2016, from

http://umm.edu/programs/childrens/health/about/what-is-a-pediatrician
2. Pediatrician Training Programs and Requirements. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2016, from
http://study.com/pediatrician_training.html
3. Neurology at Highland Hospital. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25, 2016, from
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/highland/departments-centers/neurology/what-is-aneurologist.aspx
4. CoPS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2016, from
http://www.pedsubs.org/SubDes/Neurology.cfm
5. Parts of the Brain - Memory & the Brain - The Human Memory. (n.d.). Retrieved June
08, 2016, from http://www.human-memory.net/brain_parts.html

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