Center for Pediatric-Onset
Demyelinating Disease (C-PODD)
Director: Jayne M. Ness, MD, PhD
Established:
September 15, 2006
The mission of the Center is to provide state-of-the-art multidisciplinary care and support for children, teens, and families living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other central nervous system demyelinating diseases such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), transverse myelitis (TM), optic neuritis (ON) or other clinically isolated syndromes (CIS). In 2006, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) designated UAB’s pediatric-onset demyelinating disease clinic as one of six Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence in the country.
Center Research
While MS is considered
an adult disease, there are an estimated 8,000 to
10,000 MS patients who develop symptoms onset before the age of 18, according
to the NMSS. The disease is more
difficult to diagnose in children and, when diagnosed, consensus guidelines for
treatment exist only in relationship to adult MS. There are currently no consensus treatment
guidelines for the pediatric population, largely because there is so little
information about MS in children. In
response to this need, the C-PODD has built a multi-ethnic research cohort of
children and teens with demyelinating disease from
around the country. In conjunction with
the NMSS and other pediatric MS centers, C-PODD researchers will study this
patient population with respect to clinical presentation, neuro-imaging,
laboratory findings, treatment regimens, neuro-cognitive
functioning, quality-of-life measures, and long-term functional outcome.
C-PODD will also serve
as a resource to provide up-to-date, accurate information about MS and related
disorders to patients and families, schools, health care providers, funding
agencies, third party payers, the scientific community, and the public.
For
additional information:
Director:
Jayne M. Ness, MD, PhD
Email: jness@uab.edu
Phone: 205-996-7850
Administrator:
Sarah Middleton
Email: smiddleton@peds.uab.edu
Phone:
205-996-7633 (PODD)
C-PODD email:
cpodd@peds.uab.edu
C-PODD web site: www.cpodd.peds.uab.edu or www.uab.edu/cpodd
Approved
by: Jayne M. Ness, MD, PhD, Director
Date: April 12, 2008
Click here to return to the SOM
Research Web Site's home page.