Widely recognized for providing expert care in multiple specialty clinics, Arkansas Children's neuromuscular program features an all-inclusive, collaborative care team. The clinics - targeted to patients with dystrophinopathies, muscular dystrophies, myopathies, spinal muscular atrophy, neuropathies, myasthenia gravis and other undiagnosed neuromuscular disorders - treat a broad spectrum of neuromuscular conditions, making the program the only one of its kind in the state of Arkansas.
The dystrophinopathy clinic focuses on children and teenagers diagnosed with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. In this comprehensive program, children receive care from specialists including Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, M.D., director of the comprehensive neuromuscular program at Arkansas Children's Hospital and assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Neurology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Known to his patients as Dr. Panda, Dr. Veerapandiyan is one of about 30 pediatric neuromuscular neurologists in the nation.
In addition to the expertise of Dr. Veerapandiyan, the children and teenagers seen in the dystrophinopathy clinic benefit from a large multidisciplinary team of specialists that include a cardiologist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, physical therapist, neuropsychologist, genetic counselor, social worker and nurse care coordinator.
"All of our different specialists come together to see a patient in our dystrophinopathy clinic," Dr. Veerapandiyan said. "Our patients are able to see all of these providers on the same day so that they get the best evidence-based comprehensive care."
The dystrophinopathy clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital is designated as a Certified Duchenne Care Center Program by the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy organization.
In the muscular dystrophy clinics, the neuromuscular team provides care to children with muscular dystrophies and myopathies such as congenital myopathies/muscular dystrophies, limb girdle muscular dystrophies, Pompe’s disease, Friedreich ataxia and myasthenia gravis.
“The neuromuscular program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital is recognized as a Muscular Dystrophy Association Pediatric Care Center,” Dr. Veerapandiyan said.
The spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital is spearheaded by Kapil Arya, M.D., medical director of the SMA clinic and associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UAMS. Like the patients in the dystrophinopathy clinic, children seen in the SMA clinic benefit from a large, supportive care team, which includes a neurologist, physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, pulmonologist, physical therapist, nutritionist, care coordinator and social worker.
"Our SMA clinic was one of the first to be recognized as a Cure SMA Care Center," Dr. Veerapandiyan said. "This designation allows us to participate in ongoing SMA research clinical trials and have access to gene therapy and other otherwise prohibitively high-cost therapies with the potential to save lives."
The neuropathy clinic focuses on patients with genetic neuropathies, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and hereditary sensory motor neuropathy, as well as acquired neuropathies such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). This clinic involves a comprehensive team that includes Dr. Veerapandiyan as the neuromuscular neurologist, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, a physical therapist, occupational therapist and an orthotist.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s neuromuscular program is recognized as a CMT Center of Excellence by two separate organizations — the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation and the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association.
Any pediatric patient arriving at Arkansas Children’s Hospital who is suspected of having a neuromuscular condition is seen in our undiagnosed neuromuscular clinic.
In this clinic, our patients undergo a comprehensive evaluation to pinpoint a diagnosis. Our assessments include genetic testing, EMG/nerve conduction studies and muscle biopsies if needed to help identify the diagnosis. Once diagnosed, the patient is moved to one of our specialty clinics.
Along with high-end therapies and treatments, the neuromuscular program also provides care for babies identified via newborn screening for SMA and participates in cutting-edge clinical research.
"We are typically involved in about 30 clinical trials at any given time," Dr. Veerapandiyan said. "Our research enterprise employs multiple resources to promote advanced, innovative and life-altering treatments available for our patients with neuromuscular disorders."
