The brain of a child is not only special, it is unique. It is not simply a small version of the adult brain. During infancy and childhood, more than a billion brain cells develop into highly specialized integrated networks, a critical process that shapes learning and acquisition of skills. This process is complex, making the developing brain particularly vulnerable to neurological disorders. Unfortunately, brain disorders in children are very common and the number of children affected is on the rise nationwide
The Nicklaus Children's Brain Institute was created in 2001, to meet this growing challenge. Our world-renowned team offers families the expert and compassionate care required to help children with brain disorders. Together, these specialists balance safety and efficacy, along with a caring environment, to achieve the best possible outcomes and quality of life for children with neurological conditions.
Nicklaus Children's Hospital is studying the safety and feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR) guided focused ultrasound technology - an incision-free technique- to treat centrally located brain tumors in children and young adults. MR guided focused ultrasound is an approved therapy for adults with essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. The Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute project is an investigational device exemption (IDE) study of the use of focused ultrasound for the treatment of benign intracranial tumors in patients between 8 and 22 years of age.
Pediatric Specialty Centers
Pediatric Neurology
The Division of Pediatric Neurology provides comprehensive diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of a wide range of neurological disorders in children at the hospital's main campus and selected outpatient facilities throughout South Florida.
Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Nicklaus Children's Hospital is the largest pediatric neurosurgical service in Florida and one of the most recognized programs in the country.
At the Forefront of Research
The Brain Institute team is pushing forward the frontiers of pediatric neurosurgery through its
active clinical and translational research programs to develop novel treatment approaches for pediatric brain tumors and head trauma and new non-invasive surgical approaches for the treatment of epilepsy.
NAEC Level 4 Epilepsy Center
Nicklaus Children's Hospital Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is accredited by the NAEC as a Level 4 epilepsy center. Level 4 epilepsy centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest-level medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.
Expertise and experience second to none
Founded in 2001, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Brain Institute is the nation’s first comprehensive medical program dedicated solely to the care of the developing brain. It brings together world-renowned specialists in numerous pediatric neuroscience subspecialties with cumulative clinical experience unparalleled in the United States. The team fosters integrated research and offers the latest in assessment and treatment for children with disorders of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves.
This leadership and commitment to developing new treatments draws children and families from around the world in search of answers to complex medical questions. Many of the program’s greatest successes are children who could not be helped at other centers.
Since 2008, the program has been ranked among the nation’s top-tier programs for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report. The clinical and research leadership of the program serves as a beacon to families confronting the uncertainty of a child with a brain disorder, offering the latest treatments and assessment techniques, many of which were developed by the Brain Institute team.
Florida residents enjoy the benefits of world-class care without having to venture beyond the borders of their home state. And children worldwide are facing brighter futures thanks to the Brain Institute’s commitment to advancing frontiers of scientific research and innovative treatment, saving young lives, and improving quality of life and productivity for a lifetime.