Pediatrics – Neurology

Our Team

Georgia Montouris, MD

Georgia Montouris approaches epilepsy from a few perspectives. As a neurologist who treats adults and children, she understands the disease’s complexity and its impact on patients and families. As someone who has performed clinical trials in a number of settings, she is optimistic about new and future medications to treat the disorder. Additionally, as a physician who is motivated to help her patients, Dr. Montouris donates the use of her horse stable in order to provide children with epilepsy and handicapped children the opportunity to ride horses safely.

Given that as many as 30 percent of adult and pediatric patients don’t respond to current treatment, epilepsy is a clinical challenge. “Some parents are understandably reticent to put their child on medications,” Dr. Montouris says. “But the fact remains that the child’s seizures need to be controlled.” There is good news—namely, the recent approval by the FDA of the first new epilepsy medication in five years. “We are encouraged to now have Lyrica, which is approved for use in patients over age 12.”

Dr. Montouris’ clinical interests include in the impact of seizure medication on pregnant women and their fetuses. “We have found that with a team approach involving the neurologist and the obstetrician that emphasizes careful monitoring, patients often do very well.”

Away from Boston Medical Center, Dr. Montouris cares for her four horses and runs Epi-Camp, a camp for children with epilepsy. “A while back, I began inviting my pediatric and young adult epilepsy patients to come and ride with a good support system in place—as many as three people accompanying each rider,” she says. On the third Sunday of each month from March through October, patients and parents enjoy the rare opportunity that Epi-Camp offers.
“I’ve had inner-city kids who’ve never even seen a horse come to the camp, as well as patients with cerebral palsy, who benefit from the natural stretching that occurs when you ride a horse.” The horses respond in kind, she says. “They seem to sense there’s something special about their cargo.”
The camp provides enjoyable afternoons for patients and families, but the future of epilepsy care depends on the progress represented by clinical trials. “We have several investigational drug trials underway at Boston Medical Center in which we are enrolling children,” says Dr. Montouris, noting that they are FDA-approved for adults and being tested in children. “The situation is improving. The medications we have today cover a variety of seizure types and are both safer and better-tolerated.”

Academic Credentials

Administrative Title:
Co-Director of Epilepsy Services

Academic Appointment:
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine

Medical School:
Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium (1975)

Residency:
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (1979)

Post Residency:
United Cerebral Palsy Fellowship at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN (1980)

Special Interests:
Epilepsy and seizure disorders in adults and children, pregnancy and epilepsy, clinical trials of antiepileptic medications (investigational drug trials)

Foreign Languages:
Greek, French