Pediatric neurology specialists in Denver

The pediatric neurologists within the Rocky Mountain Pediatric Specialists medical group have the experience and expertise to treat neurological and sleep disorders in children. We provide access to advanced technology for testing, diagnosis and treatment in a kid-friendly, family-centered setting

Our neurologists work alongside other pediatric specialists at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, including neurosurgeons, orthopedic experts, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists, to create individualized treatment plans for each child and improve their overall health.

To speak with one of our pediatric neurology specialists, schedule an appointment today.

Neurological symptoms in children

Neurological exams are simple tests that allow us to watch your child's nervous system in action. By detecting these issues early on, we have a better chance of identifying the problem and treating it quickly to decrease the chances of long-term complications. If your child exhibits one or more of these symptoms, your child might need a neurological evaluation:

  • Chronic headaches
  • Delayed gross motor skills (e.g., walking, jumping)
  • Losing a skill they previously mastered
  • Low muscle tone/floppiness as an infant
  • Missing a developmental milestone
  • Periods of staring or unresponsiveness
  • Problems sleeping
  • Seizures
  • Slow language development
  • Physical muscle tics
  • Unexplained head or neck pain

Pediatric neurological services

Our neurologists treat a wide range of conditions using advanced technology, testing and diagnostic methods. Pediatric illnesses and disorders we treat include:

  • Aneurysm — weakness in a blood vessel that causes it to balloon or bulge outward
  • Cancer — various types of cancers affecting the neurological system
  • Cerebral palsy — muscle weakness that stems from a neurological issue causing motor dysfunction
  • Concussions and post-concussion syndrome — a traumatic brain injury that can lead to a lasting syndrome that causes a range of symptoms including headaches, dizziness and anxiety
  • Developmental delays — when a child does not meet expected developmental milestones for their age group
  • Epilepsy — when nerve cells in the brain behave abnormally and cause seizures
  • Head injuries — any type of trauma to the head ranging from mild to severe
  • Headaches and migraines — head and neck pain, especially chronic pain not explained by other pathologies
  • Movement disorders — unexplained symptoms affecting muscles such as tremors, tics and other involuntary movements
  • Hypotonia — muscle weakness that can stem from an underlying neurological disorder
  • Scoliosis — a lateral curvature of the spine that can cause issues in the central nervous system and brain
  • Spasticity — stiffness or tightness of the muscles caused by problems with the brain and spinal cord
  • Stroke — when the blood vessels leading to the brain rupture or become blocked
  • Tics — involuntary movements or vocalizations

Pediatric sleep disorders

Not getting enough quality sleep can negatively impact a child's development and health, not to mention how the entire family can be affected when a child isn't rested.

Our pediatric neurology program includes physicians who specialize in pediatric sleep medicine. These providers have advanced training and professional experience to treat children, adolescents and young adults with sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders we treat

We treat the full spectrum of sleep disorders, including:

  • Circadian rhythm disorder — a disruption in the sleep cycle that causes problems falling asleep, waking up too early or not being able to fall back to sleep
  • Confusional arousal — when a sleeping person awakens (or appears to awaken) but is disoriented, unresponsive, confused or speaking slowly
  • Hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) — a condition causing someone to have trouble staying awake or an increased desire to sleep during the day
  • Infant sleep problems — an umbrella term for a variety of sleep issues that can affect babies, especially problems that involve a change or disruption of their regular sleep pattern
  • Insomnia — a condition when a person has difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or getting back to sleep if they awaken too early
  • Narcolepsy — a disorder of the nervous system resulting in frequent, involuntary episodes of sleep throughout the day
  • Nightmares and night terrors — chronic bad dreams that disrupt sleep (nightmares) or a period of yelling, thrashing and extreme fear while still sleeping (night terrors)
  • Periodic limb movement disorder — repetitive regular leg movements during sleep
  • Restless leg syndrome — a strong desire to move one's legs, often getting worse in the evenings
  • Rhythmic movement disorders — a muscle disorder typically affecting the head, neck and torso, causing large movements usually right when someone falls asleep
  • Sleep apnea — occurs when breathing suddenly stops and then starts during sleep. It can be a neurological or otolaryngologic (ENT) condition and is potentially dangerous
  • Sleep-disordered breathing — a common side effect of neurological conditions
  • Sleepwalking — a condition when a sleeping person gets up and walks around (also known as somnambulism)

Sleep studies for children

In partnership with The Sleep Lab at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, our pediatric sleep specialists perform in-depth sleep studies in an inviting, child-friendly sleep clinic. During a sleep study, each patient is carefully monitored by specialists while they're sleeping and different types of painless, noninvasive assessments are performed. These assessments help to accurately diagnose the root cause of each patient's sleep disorder so the right treatment plan can be created.

We understand that pediatric patients have different needs than adults medically, emotionally and physically, and our sleep specialists take great care to interact with each child in a gentle manner that helps them feel safe and comfortable.