Staying at the forefront of new developments that can help children with epilepsy, headaches and other conditions affecting the brain, nervous system, spinal cord, nerves and muscles comes naturally to Amanda Rogers, M.D.

Story by: David Steen Martin on May 19, 2021

Staying at the forefront of new developments that can help children with epilepsy, headaches and other conditions affecting the brain, nervous system, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles comes naturally to Amanda Rogers, M.D., a child neurologist and director of pediatric neuromuscular disorders with Norton Children’s Neurology, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine.

Dr. Rogers’ love of taking care of children and learning new things is a useful trait in a field where advances are bringing exciting new treatments.

“It’s always great when we have a specific medicine or treatment we can provide the family,” Dr. Rogers said, adding that she tries to be a resource for families as they try to understand what’s happening with their child.

“I tell them, ‘This is what’s going on, and this is what you can expect. This is what we can do to help take care of your child,’” she said.

Dr. Rogers specializes in neuromuscular conditions. These include muscular dystrophy; neuropathy, which can cause numbness or weakness in the hands or feet; and motor neuron diseases, which cause nerves in the brain and spine to lose function over time.

She splits her time between treating children with neuromuscular conditions and those with other neurology issues.

“Throughout my training I looked at all the different areas of neurology, and I found the neuromuscular disorders to be really interesting. I came into it at a really good time. We now have FDA [Food and Drug Administration]-approved treatment for some of these conditions, which we never did in the past.”

For example, there are three new medications approved for spinal muscular atrophy affecting children in their first year of life. Before these new treatments, children would not survive the disease. The medications target the child’s genes so they replace a missing protein necessary for survival.

“So far the therapies are safe and continue to be effective,” Dr. Rogers said.

Twice a month, Dr. Rogers joins physicians from other specialties and others at the Norton Children’s Muscular Dystrophy Clinic at the Novak Center for Children’s Health. In addition to specialists in child neurology, the clinic includes physicians from rehabilitation medicine, cardiology, pulmonology and orthopedic surgery, as well as physical therapy, a nutritionist and a social worker.

One day a month, Dr. Rogers performs electromyography (EMG) nerve conduction studies, a test that uses electrical stimulation to see how nerves and muscles respond. The test helps diagnose neuropathy and other conditions.

Originally from Louisville, Dr. Rogers attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She completed her child neurology residency and fellowship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

When she’s not working, Dr. Rogers enjoys spending time with her 2-year-old daughter, reading, spending time with family in the city, and going on bike rides in the Parklands.