Neurodiagnostics

Cook Children's offers some of the most advanced, kid-friendly care in the nation. With leading-edge imaging and diagnostic capabilities, our specialists are able to better treat patients and help them get back to doing what they do best: being kids.

When it comes to pediatrics, the Neurodiagnostic Center at Cook Children's is a bright beacon in innovative and advanced technologies designed to diagnose, evaluate, and treat the conditions that affect a child's brain and development. At Cook Children's, you'll have access to leading-edge resources, brilliant doctors, and a team of highly skilled medical professionals who specialize in pediatric neurology. All with one purpose in mind: to help your child have the best quality of care possible.

iMRI

The iMRI suite is a special operating room developed for brain surgery. It combines innovative surgical and imaging tools in one place. Surgeons can take high-quality MRIs during surgery to see the area of the brain they are operating on, the size and shape of tumors, and the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissue. And because surgeons have the ability to see and remove the entire tumor during one surgery, these tools make surgery more precise, reducing risk and the need for a second surgery.

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MEG

The latest development in magnetic imaging technology, the MEG makes finding and diagnosing a brain condition much easier for our doctors. Billions of neurons fire off trillions of electric signals, making the brain a very busy place. The MEG maps all of that activity so that doctors can pinpoint with incredible accuracy where in the brain the seizure is occurring and what removing tissue from that area may affect, like speech. This helps to determine the best course of treatment for each patient.

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EMU

Designed especially for patients with difficult to diagnose and control seizures, our advanced Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) offers the latest in high-tech evaluation tools. State-of-the-art wireless technology lets our team of highly trained EEG technologists record a child's brain activity while they do kid activities: visiting with other patients on the unit or in the play area, playing games, doing crafts, and sleeping. All in a safe environment surrounded by a specialized care team.

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3D modeling

3D modeling offers a unique dimension in the diagnosis and treatment of brain conditions. Advanced techniques create an actual 3D image of your child's brain. The neuro team then uses this image to map the location of tumors, epileptic seizures, and other neurologic conditions. This is especially useful in pinpointing a surgical area and determining the best course of treatment for your child.

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Cook Children's EEG lab is recognized as an ABRET Accredited EEG laboratory.

Successful accreditation means the EEG lab has met strict standards and is recognized as a place where patients and physicians can have confidence they are receiving quality diagnostics.

An ABRET recognized laboratory is one that demonstrates the ability to produce technically satisfactory and interpretable electrographic recordings that conform to current ACNS guidelines, and that has in place policies and procedures to facilitate ongoing consistent technical quality.

This prestigious distinction was granted by the Laboratory Accreditation Board of the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). It is based on an evaluation of the technical quality of the EEGs performed as well as a review of specific policies from the Cook Children's Neurodiagnostic Policy and Procedures Manual. We are one of only three facilities in the state of Texas and four dedicated children's hospitals nationwide to acquire this distinction.

For more than 40 years, ABRET has been the national credentialing board for EEG technologists and is internationally recognized and endorsed by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) and the American Society of Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists (ASET).