Neuromuscular Disorders
Coordinated Care From a Range of Specialists, all With Expertise in Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders
The Center for Gene Therapy | Inside Dr. Jerry Mendell's Research Lab
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Neuromuscular Disorders
Groundbreaking. Multidisciplinary. Comprehensive. These words don’t just describe our world-class Neuromuscular Disorders program. They are fundamental to our work and the commitment we make to the families who come to us from across the country. Patients benefit from coordinated care from specialists, all with expertise in pediatric neuromuscular disorders.
Nationwide Children's Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Landmark Approval for a Life-Changing Treatment
For almost two years, Nationwide Children’s has reported on the astonishing results of a treatment developed here for a devastating genetic condition. Children with this condition, called spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1), usually do not have the ability to hold their heads up, to roll over or to sit on their own. Most of these children die before their second birthdays.
The therapy, possible because of decades of research at Nationwide Children’s and The Ohio State University, has allowed a few of these children not only to live, but to crawl, walk and run. Jerry Mendell, MD, a principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, conducted the first experimental trial in children here. The readers of Science magazine named the results of the trial as the most important scientific breakthrough of 2017.
The FDA issued an approval for the gene therapy that has already changed the lives of patients at Nationwide Children’s, laying the groundwork for it to change the lives of children with SMA all over the country. The therapy is called Zolgensma, and a gene therapy company we helped create, AveXis, Inc. (now part of Novartis), is bringing it to market.
Our Clinics
Services We Offer
State-of-the-art diagnostic services include:
- Electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction testing
- Genetic counseling and genetic testing
- Muscle biopsy
- Nerve biopsy
- Neuromuscular laboratory service
Nationwide Children's world-class Neuromuscular Disorders program, which provides coordinated care with pediatric experts from more than a dozen specialties.
Meet Our Leadership
Kevin M. Flanigan
Kevin M. Flanigan, MD, is an attending neurologist at Nationwide Children's and director of the Center for Gene Therapy in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Research
Neuromuscular Disorders research is led by Dr. Kevin Flanigan, a distinguished muscular dystrophy researcher and Director of the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute. Learn more about Dr. Flanigan and his team's neuromuscular research.
Resources for Families
Referral Information
Appointments at our Neuromuscular Disorders Clinics require physician referral. Many insurance plans require authorization from the referring physician in order for the patient's care to be covered. Once all necessary referral and authorization information is received, the patient evaluation will be scheduled.
To schedule a visit, please refer your physician to our Neuromuscular Disorders Clinic using our online Request an Appointment form.
