title: The US Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers: Development, Progress, and Next Steps.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases in the pediatric population have received an increasing level of attention by clinicians and researchers. The low incidence of these diseases in children creates a need for the involvement of multiple clinical centers in research efforts. The Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers was created initially in 2006 to improve the diagnosis and care of children with demyelinating diseases. In 2010, the Network shifted its focus to multicenter research while continuing to advance the care of patients. The Network has obtained support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. The Network will continue to serve as a platform for conducting impactful research in pediatric demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. This article provides a description of the history and development, organization, mission, research priorities, current studies, and future plans of the Network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA charlie.casper@hsc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: T Charles
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Casper
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roalstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA Department of Pediatrics, Benioff Children's Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waubant
authors.affiliation: Pediatric MS Center at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aaen
authors.affiliation: Lourie Center for Pediatric MS, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belman
authors.affiliation: Partners MS Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Tanuja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chitnis
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.affiliation: Lourie Center for Pediatric MS, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krupp
authors.affiliation: Blue Bird Circle Multiple Sclerosis Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Lotze
authors.affiliation: UAB Center for Pediatric Onset Demyelinating Disease, Children's Hospital of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Jayne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic's Pediatric MS Center, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic's Pediatric MS Center, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center, Jacobs Neurological Institute, SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weinstock-Guttman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Brittan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic's Pediatric MS Center, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Jan-Mendelt
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tillema
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006040:Goals; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D010372:Pediatrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States
keywords: NPMSC; demyelinating disease; multicenter research; multiple sclerosis; network