Pediatric Neurology Research in the Twenty-First Century: Status, Challenges, and Future Directions Post-COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Neuroscience Research
• Global Health

Background:

• The year 2020 presented significant disruptions to pediatric neurology due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice movements.
• These events highlighted existing obstacles and vulnerabilities within the pediatric neurology research landscape.
• Despite challenges, there's a renewed commitment to enhance and prioritize future research directions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate challenges and opportunities within the pediatric neurology research field.
• To identify priority domains for the future of pediatric neurology research.
• To provide actionable recommendations for advancing research and patient care.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of published research in pediatric neurology.
• Synthesis of publicly available data related to the field.
• A survey conducted among pediatric neurologists to gather insights.

Main Results:

• Identified three key priority domains: funding levels, active guidance, and reducing disparities.
• Recommendations include increasing funding, tailoring strategies for pediatric clinical trials, and supporting investigators.
• Emphasis on optimizing infrastructure, leveraging therapeutics, enhancing data collection, and improving child inclusion in trials.

Conclusions:

• The pediatric neurology community must re-engage the public and government in this challenging era.
• Advancing the health of children with neurological conditions is a timely and crucial mission.
• Prioritizing research in funding, guidance, and disparity reduction is essential for progress.