https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/wards-and-departments/departments/clinical-specialties/dubowitz-neuromuscular-centre-dnc-information-parents-and-visitors/dubowitz-neuromuscular-centre/
About the Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre
The Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre (DNC) at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is a leading clinical and research centre specialising in neuromuscular disorders affecting children. The DNC provides clinical assessment, diagnostic services and advice on treatment and rehabilitation.The DNC is also involved in clinical trials, basic research focusing on understanding the cause of neuromuscular diseases in childhood and identifying novel therapeutic interventions.
Excellence in this field is demonstrated not only by the National Commissioning Group (NCG) status achieved in 2000, to provide a national specialist diagnostic and assessment service for congenital muscular dystrophies and congenital myopathies, but also by our designation as a muscle centre by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.
The DNC is part of the UCL Institute of Child Health and GOSH and is a member of the recently created MRC Neuromuscular Translational Research Centre at UCL.
In addition to the service provided for all paediatric neuromuscular disorders, the DNC is involved with clinical, molecular and cell biological research, mostly focused on the genetic basis of congenital muscular dystrophies, on muscle stem cells and on experimental therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The DNC is made up of the following services:
Collaboration with other departments
The DNC comprises a number of specialist multidisciplinary teams of people who deal with a range of issues surrounding neuromuscular disorders. These include specialists in physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and dietetic and medical assessments.
In addition, we have joint specialist clinics with orthopaedic and spinal surgeons, respiratory and peripheral nerve specialists. Children may also be referred to other specialist services at GOSH such as Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Paediatric surgery.
The service also works closely with two other UK National projects, SMArtNet and the North Star Project.