PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL PEDIATRICS, & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
Clinical Practice Focus
Dr. Bohan is a pediatric neurologist and developmental pediatrician. His practice focuses on the evaluation and management of children with developmental and/or behavioral difficulties. A child's initial symptoms may range from speech or motor delay to significant school problems. The causes could be congenital or genetic, related to prematurity or acquired in nature. Many patients have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder such as Autism, Asperger's Syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Other patients have other behavioral and decelopmental disorders such as Tourettes Syndrome, language delay and complicated Attention Deficit Disorders. His practice is oriented careful diagnostic assessment and long term pharmacological management of these issues.
Clinical Assessment
The initial assessment starts with a careful history and a review of past medical records, psychological tests, speech and language evaluations, school testing, etc. Parents are asked to complete a history form and different behavioral questionnaires. For younger children, a parent conference prior to see ing the child, often facilitates a frank discussion. The initial patient visit focuses on a neurological exam and may include developmental testing. The results may prompt referral to others for a psychological evaluation, a speech and language assessment, or specialized tests such as an MRI and genetic studies. The MRI may reveal a specific brain malformation that is the cause of a chld's delay. Similarly, modern genetic studies may may reveal a chromosomal abnormality that is the cause or etiology of the child's developmental problems. In addition to standard chromosomal study, the genetic studes would often include chromosomal microarray and may also include selective single gene tests. Recent improvements in the chromosomal microarray have markedly expanded our knowledge of the causes of may developmental and behavioral disorders in children. The chromosomal microarray is able to detect very small microdeletions and microduplications. This often facilaties more careful classification and perhaps even better management. Since different microarrays have varying sensitive and specificity, one should select one of the newer, more advanced arrays.
Biographical Information
Dr. Bohan was born in Illinois, earned aB.A. from Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. He later received a M.S. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Tulande University medical Center and a M.D. from the University of Miami. He completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowhip in Child Neurology at Duke University. he also completed a PRAT Program post-doctoral fellowship in pharmacology at the National Institute of Mental Health.
Dr. Bohan is board certified in Pediatrics as well as in Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology. He is one of a small group of Child Neurologists who are also board certified in the new sub-specialty of Neuro-developmental Disabilities. Prior to private practice, Dr.Bohan spent more than 13 years on the full time faculty of three medical schools, Northwestern University in Chicago, the University of Texas-Houston, and Baylor College of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Child Neurology Society and the American Academy of Neurology. He is also a member of the Harris County Medical Society and Texas Medical Association. He is on the staff of Texas Children's and The Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital.
Research Experience
Dr. Bohan has numerous publications. Many of these have focused on the features and medication management of genetic and developmental disorders. These have included studies on children with brain malformations, attention deficit disorder and Tourettes Syndrome, genetic disorders, Aspergers Syndrome. The pharmacological topics have ranged from studies of the effects of different forms of methylphenidate (Ritalin) on impaired attention span to Prozac's impact on children with Aspergers Syndrome. They have also included studies on the toxicity of antipsychotics and valproic acid. His past research has been supported by both the National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical industry.
Appointments
To make an appointment with Dr. Bohan, please call 713-621-4422. When necessary, appointments may be possible on short notice, but the final diagnostic impression might be deferred until after past medical records have been reviewed. For this reason, Dr. Bohan prefers to have copies of pertinent past medical records, psychological testing, speech and language evaluation, school testing, etc. prior to the initial appointment. The parents will be sent medical release froms to sign and asked to help us obtain such records. The important things include both diagnostic studies such as EEG's, MRIs, CT scans, etc. as well as any past psychological testing by the school system or by others. Prior to the iniital visit, the parents will also be asked to complete a thorough history form. This includes several questions about the past use of medications for developmental and/or behavioral problems, a task that may be helped by past pharmacy records, which ae often readily available.