Special Pediatric Neurodevelopment Unit
A' Pediatric Clinic EKPA – "Agia Sofia" Children's Hospital
Purpose and Activities
The Special Pediatric Neurology Unit, headed by Roser Pons, Professor of Pediatrics – Pediatric Neurology at the First Department of Pediatrics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of children with complex neurological disorders, with the aim of improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
The Unit specializes in movement disorders, such as cerebral palsy, dystonia, chorea, ataxia, and myoclonus, as well as rare neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative, neurometabolic, and neurogenetic diseases. Particular emphasis is placed on the follow-up of patients with spinal muscular atrophy, who receive innovative treatments, such as gene therapy and other disease-modifying therapies.
The Unit operates on the basis of a multidisciplinary approach, involving collaboration across different fields, and participates in the European Reference Networks ERN-GENTURIS and ERN-Rare Neurological Disorders through a memorandum of collaboration with the First Department of Neurology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).
Specialized Clinics
- › Movement Disorders and Rare Neurological Diseases Clinic
- › Interdisciplinary Neurocutaneous Disorders Clinic (pediatric neurologists, oncologists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, geneticists, and orthopedic specialists)
- › Clinics for Complex Neurological Cases, Neurogenetic Disorders, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- › Follow-up Clinic for Patients with Brain Tumors (in collaboration with the University Oncology-Hematology Team, headed by Professor Antonis Kattamis)
- › Dystonia Clinic (in collaboration with physiatrist Z. Dalivigka, Center for Early Intervention and Rehabilitation of Children, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital)
In addition, Professor Roser Pons offers telephone appointments twice a week for Unit patients and parents seeking medical advice and guidance.
Research and Scientific Work
Professor Roser Pons maintains active international collaborations and participates in numerous research consortia. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Working Group on Neurotransmitter Related Disorders (iNTD), a member of the Advisory Committee for the study AAV2-hAADC in Pediatric Patients with AADC Deficiency, Associate Editor of Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, and a member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Pediatric Neurology.
International Registries and Research Networks
iNTD
Inherited disorders of biogenic amine, pterin, folate, serine, glycine, and GABA metabolism
SCPE Network
Registry of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Attica – Greece
RESTORE
Long-term registry of patients with spinal muscular atrophy
Local Research Activities
- The motor phenotype of cerebral palsy
- The development of an assessment scale for infantile and childhood parkinsonism
- The study of autonomic nervous system disorders in chronic neurological conditions