Inova Children's Neuroscience Program: Expertise in childhood neurological conditions
Inova Children's Neuroscience Program is uniquely qualified to evaluate and treat neurological conditions from birth through adolescence.
Combining the expertise of Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital with the specialty knowledge of Inova Neurosciences, the program features a full complement of board-certified specialists who cover all aspects of inpatient and outpatient care from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and long-term follow-up.
The combined specialized expertise of Inova Children's pediatric neurologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric critical care physicians, pediatric hematologist/oncologists, pediatric neuropsychologists, pediatric psychiatrists forms the foundation of care excellence. Beyond this clinical care, extensive ancillary services and programs help children and families throughout their experience. Child Life specialists, social workers, physical, occupational and speech therapists, nutritionists and support groups all contribute to the care experience.
A Ronald McDonald House is located on the campus of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus so families can stay close to their hospitalized child. There is little or no cost to the family.
Contact us
For more information about Inova's pediatric neuroscience services, call 703-776-4700.
Expertise and compassion
At Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital, our surgeons bring expertise and compassion to the complex care they provide children with neurosurgical needs.
Our neurosurgeons, Leon Moores, MD and Kristopher G. Hooten, MD, are fellowship trained experts in their field. Together they have decades of experience caring for children with brain tumors, spinal tumors and deformities, craniofacial and congenital abnormalities, epilepsy and other diseases and disorders of the brain and spine.
Our doctors lead a pediatric neuro-trauma team that is skilled in treating the most urgent of cases, including interventions for trauma and pediatric stroke. They work within multi-disciplinary teams that include anesthesia, neurology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, hematology/oncology, genetics, rehabilitation, and any other needed specialty to provide the best outcomes for our patients.
Peggy Vollstad, PA-C is a pediatric neurosurgery physician assistant. She joined Inova in 2016 and has been practicing since 2004.
Prior to joining Inova, Peggy practiced both adult and pediatric neurosurgery in Texas. She then moved to Norway for several years, where she coordinated neurosurgical research initiatives at Oslo University Hospital and Vilhelm Magnus Laboratory for Neurosurgical Research. She also traveled throughout Scandinavia and Europe assisting in minimally invasive surgical techniques and helped begin a neurosurgery program in Malawi, Africa. Peggy attended the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, for her training and has been involved in neurosurgery since 2004.
Inova Children’s works closely with pediatric specialists across the region including Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV).
Search Pediatric Neurosurgery physicians at Inova 
We specialize in both pediatric neurology and pediatric neurosurgery
Pediatric Neurology
The specialists at Inova Children's Hospital are experts in treating a broad range of pediatric neurological disorders. From the management of epilepsy and seizures to advanced concussion care, the Inova Children's team is here for you and your child.
Neurology conditions treated:
- Batten disease
- Concussion
- Development delay
- Epilepsy
- New onset seizures
- Guillain Barre syndrome
- Headache/migraine
- Infantile spasms
- Intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor crebri)
- Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies
- Movement disorders
- Dystonias
- Ataxias
- Choreoathetosis
- Tremors
- Tics
- Muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Neurocutaneous syndromes
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Peripheral neuropathies
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
- Pseudotumor cerebri (intracranial hypertension)
- Seizures
- Sleep disorders
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Strokes and vascular anomalies
- Tourette syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Conditions treated by Inova pediatric neurosurgeons:
- Congenital malformations of the brain and spine (spina bifida, tethered spinal cord, Chiari malformations)
- Craniofacial abnormalities
- Tumors of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves
- Vascular malformations of the brain and spine
- Epilepsy
- Spinal deformities
- Hydrocephalus
Fetal Care Program for Neurological Conditions
Using a multidisciplinary approach of specialty physicians and nurses, Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Program provides prenatal consultation and pediatric care planning for pregnant women identified as carrying babies with spina bifida and other neurological abnormalities, birth defects or medical problems.
The program provides the advantage of high-risk pregnancy expertise available at Inova Women's Hospital with our pediatric surgical and medical specialties.
Learn more about Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Program
Spina Bifida Program
At Inova Children’s, we bring together different medical experts to provide complete care for kids with Spina Bifida. We help patients from babies to teenagers, making sure they get all the care they need in one place and at one time.
Learn more about the Inova Children’s Spina Bifida Program
Clinical Trials, Research Protocols, Specialty Clinics
Children with brain and spinal cord disorders who are treated at Inova Children’s also have access to local and national research protocols and clinical trials, as well as one-stop, multidisciplinary specialty clinics and child- and family-focused patient support groups, all conveniently located in Northern Virginia. These services provide an extra layer of tailored emotional and clinical support for children with neurological conditions and their families.
Conditions treated by Inova physicians
The Inova Children's neuroscience program has the expertise to evaluate and treat a wide range of neurological conditions in children of all ages. Among the conditions we treat are:
- Benign and malignant brain and spinal tumors, including:
- Gliomas
- Blastomas
- Pharyngiomas
- Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT)
- Retinoblastoma
- Neurologic malformations affecting the fetus and infant, including:
- Spina bifida
- Myelomeningocele
- Encephalocele
- Hydrocephalus
- Craniofacial abnormalities:
- Craniosynostosis
- Cranial vault defects and deformities
- Bone tumors of the skull
- Molding deformities of the infant cranium
- Epilepsy and movement disorders
- Concussion and traumatic brain injury
- Craniofacial abnormalities
- Spinal malformations and injuries
- Chiari malformation
- Cerebral palsy and spasticity
- Spina Bifida
- Other pediatric brain and spinal cord conditions and diseases
Inova offers a full range of neurodiagnostics for children
Neurodiagnostics are the testing of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. A wide range of neurodiagnostic testing is available at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital.
Neurodiagnostics are offered for:
- Acute onset of stupor/coma
- Acute paralysis
- Concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Congenital anomalies of the central nervous system
- Epilepsy
- Headache
- Movement disorders
- Sleep disorders
- Spinal cord injuries
- Stroke
Diagnostic services include:
- CT (computed tomography)
- EEG
- EMG
- Evoked potentials/response
- Intraoperative CT
- Intraoperative evoked potential monitoring
- MRI and fetal MRI
- Sleep studies