At the 2025 Child Neurology Society (CNS) Annual Meeting in Charlotte, Craig Press, MD, PhD, associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and medical director of the Neuroscience Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discussed the growing need for expanded access to genetic testing and multidisciplinary expertise in pediatric neurocritical care.

Press presented during the session “Bringing Precision Therapy to the Neurocritical Care Bedside,” part of Seminar 7: Optimizing NeuroICU Care: Treating Patients Rather Than Seizures. His presentation highlighted how evolving diagnostic tools and data-driven strategies are helping clinicians better tailor treatments to the individual needs of children experiencing neurologic crises.

Addressing access and diagnostic delays

“In children who present with early epilepsy, we often need genetic testing to better understand the underlying cause,” Press said. “The timeframe to receive those results can still take weeks to months, although rapid genetic tests are available. However, they aren’t accessible at every institution or for every patient. Expanding access to these tests will be critical.”

According to Press, limited availability of rapid genetic testing can delay diagnosis and timely therapeutic decisions in acute pediatric cases. Increasing access to these resources across institutions could help shorten diagnostic timelines and improve precision treatment planning.

Key areas of need include:

• Expanding institutional access to rapid genetic testing platforms
• Reducing turnaround times for results to improve clinical decision-making
• Ensuring equitable access for all pediatric patients regardless of location

Building expertise across the care continuum

Press also emphasized the importance of training clinicians to interpret and apply emerging diagnostic tools, including EEG and immunologic biomarkers. “This isn’t a skill set that most clinicians learned in medical school, residency, or fellowship,” he said. “Figuring out how to extend that expertise across institutions and build multidisciplinary teams to answer these questions—and bring all those resources to bear at the right time—is one of our biggest needs.”

He added that professional organizations such as the Child Neurology Society and the American Epilepsy Society have started offering educational programs focused on precision medicine in pediatric neurology. Still, Press noted that meaningful progress will depend on continued investment in training, resources, and collaboration to ensure that precision therapies reach every child who may benefit.

Reference:

Press C. Bringing Precision Therapy to the Neurocritical Care Bedside. Presented at: 2025 Child Neurology Society. October 8-11. Charlotte, North Carolina.