Pediatric neuropsychiatry treats behavioral problems in children related to neurological problems, such as autism and Tourette’s syndrome. The clinics offer diagnosis and treatment, including medications and cognitive therapy. The field represents a scientific approach to mental illness and emphasizes the goal of a better life for the patient.
Pediatric neuropsychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with behavioral problems in children related to neurological problems. Disorders like autism, Tourette’s syndrome and even OCD can be treated by this type of clinic. Like all types of neuropsychiatry, there is some concern that the fields of psychiatry and neurology are too diverse to healthily combine in a single practice. Even so, the relationship between neurological states and behavioral patterns makes this alliance valuable in many respects. Treatment at a pediatric neuropsychiatry clinic can be effective in relieving some symptoms of even the most serious illnesses.
Most pediatric neuropsychiatry professionals have degrees in psychiatry, and many are physicians and are doing well. Psychiatry major is common, and neuroscience is typically a secondary subject. Because these doctors work with children, they must be exceptionally patient and skilled for this task. Some teaching hospitals also have working and observing students, which can be inconvenient for children or their parents.
In the history of medicine, pediatric neuropsychiatry represents a move away from ideological explanations of mental illness towards a scientific approach to disorders of the mind. For example, instead of seeing OCD as a problem caused by mothers, neuropsychiatry finds the causes in differences between brains that have and do not have this problem. This may not fully explain the disease, but it does provide a scientific pathway by which it can be diagnosed and treated.
The disorders addressed by pediatric neuropsychiatry clinics vary. Autism, body dysmorphic disorder, and tic disorders can all be treated in this type of clinic, and all of these disorders benefit from the neurological perspective of this type of psychiatry. While neuropsychiatry emphasizes the idea that these disorders are rooted in the brain, no less emphasis is placed on the ultimate goal of a better life for the patient and the alleviation of symptoms.
The clinics themselves often provide diagnosis and treatment, although some focus only on diagnosis and testing. The test depends on the disorder and may involve neuroimaging, electroencephalography (EEG), or simple questions. Treatment options vary by facility and by disease, but it is common for a pediatric neuropsychiatry clinic to offer medications, cognitive therapy, and other interventions. Most of the diseases treated in this type of clinic require sustained treatment over a long period of time and may involve giving children medications that can be dangerous if not carefully monitored. As such, the education of parents and caregivers is also an important part of any clinic’s mission.
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