Neurologists?

A pediatric neurologist would be a good specialist to go to, particularly for a dx. Tics/OCD are usually dxed by symptoms, but a good neurologist would order tests to rule out more exotic causes of the symptoms.

One cause you should be thinking of (and a good neurologist should investigate) is possible PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune disorder associated with strep). In certain susceptible children, tics and OCD can emerge fairly suddenly after strep infections. (Please note that your child can have strep even if he or she does not have obvious symptoms like a sore throat.) Treatment focuses on proven therapies for OCD like cognitive behavior therapy and, if the doctor is aggressive, preventing future strep outbreaks through prophylactic antiobiotic treatment. PANDAS tends to get worse and more chronic with each strep infection. For more information do a google search on PANDAS +strep.

I would make sure that the neurologist I saw has a solid background and interest in tics and OCD and has knowledge of PANDAS before going. I’m not sure I would see that much use in a counselling-type psychiatrist for these symptoms. There is almost no chance these are caused by anxiety or some other psychological cause, so counselling doesn’t help much.

In the United States, neurologists/neurology most often treat the various epilepsies vs the psychiatrists/psychiatry who treat ADHD.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm

Neurologists are more apt to do tests like the EEG or MRI vs psychiatrists who for some reason use objective tests like the EEG and MRI less frequently (although Amen, M.D. tends to use the SPECT).

http://www.brainplace.com/bp/default.asp

[quote:50677835c1=”Josephine”]I’ve noticed some on this board and other are having their child seen by a neurologist. This has also been suggested to me since DS (11yo) is having some OCD and vocal tics. WHat would a neurologist do? We see a child psychiatrist and he has 1 hour of counseling at our church a week. I just wonder would a visit to a neuro doc be worth it? What tests would they do if any?……thanks~[/quote]

Thank you both, Sometimes I think seeing a psychiatrist is putting too much accent on the fact that something is wrong with him. I’m not sure it’s helping His ADD. I would think and EEg should have been something they would do first, to rule out other things. I wanted to have a spect scan done on him but our insurance knocked it down. They would only cover EEGs, not even and MRI.

If your son has Tics, you should have him see a neurologist and have an EEG done, Tics could be Tourettes as well.