OverviewStony Brook Children's brings an exceptional breadth and depth of expertise to the care of children with neurological disorders. As Suffolk County's only Child Neurology program based in an academic medical center, our team works on the front lines of medicine. We take on the region's most clinically complex cases; conduct vital research studies; and, as faculty of the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, teach tomorrow's neurologists.

Within Child Neurology, we have two specialty centers that provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation, treatment, and long-term management of multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy and seizure disorders. Our National Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center is a designated Center of Excellence by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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Contact Us National Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center 179 N. Belle Meade East Setauket, NY 11733 (631) 444-7802 Fax (631) 444-6438

Neurology Associates of Stony Brook
179 N. Belle Meade Road
East Setauket, NY 11733
(631) 444-2599
Fax (631) 444-1474
 

Stony Brook Outpatient Services 225 W. Montauk Highway
Hampton Bays, NY 11946
(631) 723-5000
Fax (631) 444-1474

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Our Team Stony Brook Children's Child Neurology Division consists of a core team of four pediatric neurologists. Working collaboratively with the hospital's full complement of pediatric and neurology subspecialists—including clinical neurophysiologists, epileptologists, neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, and neuro-oncologists—they provide diagnosis and management for a comprehensive range of disorders of the brain, spinal cord, muscles, and nerves. The Division is led by the renowned pediatric neurologist, epileptologist, and clinical neurophysiologist Mary Andriola, MD.

Mary Andriola, MD – Division Chief and Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Lourdes Bello-Espinosa, MD
Tejwant Bindra, DO
ill Miller-Horn, MD Gail Schuman, DO

Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Specialists Lauren Krupp, MD, Neurologist, Program Director
Anita L. Belman, MD, Pediatric Neurologist Supporting Specialists
Robert Peyster, MD, Radiologist
Patrick Sibony MD, Neuro Ophthalmologist
Dorothy Reynolds, PhD, Pediatric Ophthalmologist
Deborah Weisbrot, MD, Psychiatrist
Thomas Preston, PhD, Neuropsychologist
Maria Milazzo, RN, MS, PNP-C, Nurse Practitioner

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Services Part of the medical center's Program of Distinction in Neurosciences, our Child Neurology Division evaluates and treats patients ranging from newborns to young adults. We have the expertise, experience and technology to address the full gamut of neurological problems, including:

Autism
Brain tumors
Cerebral palsy
Developmental disorders
Epilepsy and seizure disorders
Genetic disorders
Guillain Barré syndrome
Hydrocephalus
Infectious diseases
Mental retardation
Metabolic disorders
Migraine headaches
Motor development
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Tic disorders
Vascular abnormalities

Stony Brook Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Through the Stony Brook Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, we offer a uniquely focused approach to the diagnosis and treatment of children with seizure disorders. Our capabilities include:

• A six-bed dedicated video-EEG epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) with 24/7 observation staff
• Portable video-EEG epilepsy monitoring capability that can be set up anywhere in the hospital where there is a patient experiencing possible seizures
• A multidisciplinary team, including renowned epileptologists, pediatric neurologists, and neurosurgeons
• Multiple treatment options, including advanced surgical techniques
• Access to research, including clinical trials of new drugs and support and education services for patients and families

National Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center Established in 2002, Stony Brook’s National Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center was the first multidisciplinary center dedicated to addressing the specific needs of pediatric multiple sclerosis patients in the United States. Today, it is one of six in the nation designated as a Center of Excellence by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which means it meets rigorous standards and offers an unparalleled depth and breadth of resources, including an international pediatric research program. Long Islanders find themselves fortunate to have world-class care like this in their own community.

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Patient Resources Below are several links to more information:

• What You Need to Know About Epilepsy and Seizures
• Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island
• Pediatric MS Center fact sheet [pdf]
• A message to Parents and Health Care Providers: MS is not just an adult disease [pdf]
• Leading the fight for children [pdf]
• Pediatric MS Newsletter, Winter 2009 [pdf]

National Websites

• National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• National Pediatric MS Center
• Science News: Vitamin D Study

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Research and Education At Stony Brook University Medical Center, research and education are key components of our mission. Our child neurology physicians are members of the faculty of the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and teach medical students, residents and fellows on an ongoing basis. Multiple studies of anti-epileptic drugs and vagal nerve stimulation have been conducted over the years, and the staff presents and publishes their work extensively. Dr. Mary Andriola co-authored a volume on EEG that has been widely used in medical training. She has just completed a chapter in a leading EEG book which was published in fall 2010. Dr. Jill Miller-Horn is a peer reviewer for Clinical Pediatrics. Dr. Lauren Krupp is principal investigator on several multiple sclerosis studies, including ”Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in MS,” “ SURPASS - 101MS325: A Multicenter, Randomized, Rater-Blind, Parallel-Group, Active Controlled Study to Evaluate the Benefits of Switching Therapy (Glatiramer Acetate or Interferon B-1a) to Natalizumab in Subjects with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis,” and “ STRATIFY-2: JCV Antibody Program in Patients with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Receiving of Considering Treatment with Tysabri®.”

Recent publications by faculty include: Miller-Horn JW, Andriola MR, Coyle PK, Gerber O, Melvin JJ. Determination of Death By Neurological Criteria: What Do We Know and When Did We Learn It? [Abstract.] Annals of Neurology, 66 (Suppl 13), 135, October 2009

Miller-Horn J, Spiegel R, Bello L, and Andriola MR. Clinical Experience with Rufinamide in an Academic Medical Center. Epilepsia. 50 Suppl. 2009. 



Dzhafarova N, Bindra T, Andriola MR and Spiegel R. Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Children Exposed to Antiepileptic Drugs in Utero. Epilepsia 50 Suppl. 2009.

Venkatraman G, Shmerkovich D, Andriola MR, Zilberman I and Spiegel R. Prevalence of Status Epilepticus in the Critical Care Patient Population. Epilepsia 50 Suppl. 2009.

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Advances and Recognitions Child neurology director Mary Andriola, MD, was named one of New York's Best Doctors in 2010 by Castle Connelly, publishers of New York magazine. She has received this distinction numerous times in the past.

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Definitions ADD/ADHD - Attention deficit disorder (ADD)/ attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be characterized by difficulty with the following: paying attention, concentrating, following directions, learning, keeping still, and completing tasks. Children with these disorders may be inclined to make impulsive decisions without stopping to think about the consequences of their choices. The disorder has three subtypes: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined.

Clinical neurophysiology - This medical specialty studies the central and peripheral nervous systems through the recording of bioelectrical activity.

Developmental disorders - These disorders interfere with a child's development or acquisition of basic skills. There are many categories of developmental disorders. Specific developmental disorders affect a narrow area of development, such as a learning disability. Pervasive development disorders, such as autism, may affect a child's development overall. An example is the autism spectrum disorders, which affect a child's acquisition of communication and social skills, sensitivity to sensory stimulation, and other areas. Children with developmental disorders vary widely in their abilities, intelligence, and needs.

EEG - Electroencephalography (EEG) measures the activity of neurons in the brain using electrodes attached to the head. It is useful in diagnosing epilepsy, coma, encephalopathy and other brain disorders.

Electrodiagnosis - Recording electrical activity of the brain and nerves, such as with EEG, to diagnose illness and injuries.

Epilepsy - A neurological disorder characterized by seizures.

Guillain Barré syndrome - An acute autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system. There are six types of GBS each with unique symptoms involving muscle weakness, paralysis and other symptoms.

Hydrocephalus - A condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. The head may swell and intracranial pressure may build, resulting in headache, nausea, sleepiness, coma, brain damage, or seizures.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision.

Niedermeyer's Electroencephalography 6/e - The EEG in congential malformations of cortical development, neurocutaneous disorders, cerebral palsy, autism/mental retardation, and ADHD 

Neuro-oncology - This medical subspecialty deals with cancers of the nervous system and spine.

Neuroradiology - This medical field focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of brain, spinal cord, vascular, and head and neck lesions or tumors using x-rays, magnetic fields, radio waves, and ultrasound

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