The More Things Change … Child Neurology in the Age of Next-Generation Sequencing

As a medical student in the 1970s, I was taught (by nonneurologists) that computerized tomography of the brain would soon eliminate the need for neurologists. As it happened, the occurrence of unrecognized anatomical variants and unexplained changes in density of brain parenchyma led to an increase in requests for neurologic consultations. A thorough history and examination would generally permit reassurance of the child and family. The advent of magnetic resonance imaging initiated a similar cycle of predictions that neurologists would be superseded by these more sophisticated imaging machines, only to find that our services were required even more frequently, given the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging techniques to artefact, and the broad range of physiological changes in magnetic resonance images associated with normal development.
Source: Seminars in Pediatric Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research