Pediatric Neuro-immunology Program

Autoimmune disorders are diseases in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue. These disorders can affect many different parts of the body. In our Pediatric Neuro-immunology Program at Children’s Hospital Boston, we care for children and adolescents who have autoimmune disorders that affect their central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). These diseases are referred to as neuro-immune disorders. They include:

• opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (“dancing eyes syndrome”)
• central nervous system vasculitis
• Hashimoto’s encephalopathy
• lupus
• auto-immune encephalitis

We are dedicated to providing comprehensive care for children and families affected by these rare disorders.

One major group of neuro-immune conditions is “demyelinating” disorders, in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves, myelin. Children with these conditions are cared for in a related program at Children’s, our Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Program. These disorders include:

• multiple sclerosis (MS)
• acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
• acute transverse myelitis (ATM)
• optic neuritis

Our program is part of the Children’s Brain center, which is made up of more than 100 doctors, including some of the world’s top pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists and developmental behavioral pediatricians.