Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine; Primary Children's Hospital, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Division of Pediatric Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Pediatr Neurol. 2021 Mar;116:62-67. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2020.11.020. Epub 2020 Dec 3.
The past decades have seen a transformational shift in the understanding and treatment for neurological diseases affecting infants and children. These advances have been driven in part by the pediatric neurology physician-scientist workforce and its efforts. However, pediatric neurology research faces substantial challenges from internal and external forces including work-life balance demands, COVID-19 pandemic effects, and research funding. Understanding the impact of these challenges on the perceptions, planning, and careers of pediatric neurology physician-scientists is needed to guide the research mission.
Our objective was to survey the research challenges, goals, and priorities of pediatric neurologists. In 2020 we conducted a cross-sectional, 28-question survey emailed to 1,775 members of the Child Neurology Society.
One hundred fifty-one individuals responded to the survey. Most respondents were grant investigators (52%) and conducted clinical research (69%). Research areas included epilepsy (23%), neurodevelopmental and autism (16%), neurocritical care and stroke (11%), neurogenetics and neurometabolics (9%), neonatal neurology (8%), and others. The most common funding source was the National Institutes of Health (37%). Shared major research concerns were funding, utilization of remote technology, overcoming disparities, natural history and multicenter studies, global neurology, and diversification of the research portfolio. Commitment to continuing and increasing research efforts was evident.
Our survey demonstrates obstacles for physician-scientist researchers in pediatric neurology, but it also shows optimism about continued opportunity. Creative approaches to address challenges will benefit the research mission, maximize the current and future pool of researchers, and help improve the lives of children with neurological disorders.
过去几十年，人们对影响婴儿和儿童的神经疾病的理解和治疗发生了重大转变。这些进展部分是由儿科神经科医师科学家的工作及其努力推动的。然而，儿科神经学研究面临着来自内部和外部力量的巨大挑战，包括工作与生活的平衡需求、COVID-19 大流行的影响以及研究资金。了解这些挑战对儿科神经科医师科学家的看法、规划和职业的影响，对于指导研究任务是必要的。
我们的目的是调查儿科神经科医生的研究挑战、目标和优先事项。我们于 2020 年向儿童神经病学会的 1775 名成员发送了一份 28 个问题的横断面调查电子邮件。
151 人对调查做出了回应。大多数受访者是赠款调查员（52%）并进行临床研究（69%）。研究领域包括癫痫（23%）、神经发育和自闭症（16%）、神经危重症和中风（11%）、神经遗传学和神经代谢（9%）、新生儿神经病学（8%）和其他领域。最常见的资金来源是美国国立卫生研究院（37%）。共享的主要研究关注点是资金、远程技术的利用、克服差异、自然史和多中心研究、全球神经病学以及研究组合的多样化。继续并增加研究工作的承诺是显而易见的。
我们的调查表明儿科神经科医师科学家面临障碍，但也表明对持续机会的乐观态度。创造性的方法来应对挑战将有利于研究任务，最大限度地发挥当前和未来的研究人员队伍，并有助于改善患有神经障碍的儿童的生活。
