The focus of my clinical activity fixes upon children with cerebrovascular disorders and stroke and I organize and direct the first dedicated Cerebrovascular Disorders and Stroke service at Boston Children’s Hospital.

MEDIA

Caregiver Profile

Caregiver Profile

Meet Dr. Michael Rivkin

MEDICAL SERVICES

Specialties

Departments

Programs

Languages

  • English

EDUCATION

Medical School

  • University of Virginia School of Medicine , 1984 , Charlottesville , VA

Internship

  • Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital , 1985 , Cleveland , OH

Residency

Pediatrics
  • Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital , 1988 , Cleveland , OH

Residency

Pediatric Neurology
  • New England Medical Center , 1992 , Boston , MA

Fellowship

  • Boston Children's Hospital , 1993 , Boston , MA

Philosophy of Care

I grew up wanting to help people in a tangible way. My family has a strong tradition of volunteering to help those in need through our synagogue, a value that was instilled in me from a young age.

My approach to care is based on that compassion. I try to think very hard about what I would do if a patient were my own child. As early as medical school, it was already clear to me that I wanted to treat children. The opportunity to contribute to the health and development of children was extremely appealing and interesting to me, and providing care to children and their families is satisfying and enjoyable.

I completed my residency in general pediatrics before deciding to specialize in neurology. I became fascinated by stroke and cerebrovascular disorders, and found the amount we have yet to learn about the brain inspiring. Consequently, I feel that these are exciting times to practice and to perform research in the field of child neurology and in pediatric stroke and cerebrovascular disorders, specifically.

When I started down my path to become a doctor, I had no idea I would wind up doing so much research. But I have been surprised by the fascination the research has held for me, and conducting research on brain development has become an integral part of my approach to care.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

I am both a pediatrician and a child neurologist, and my practice specializes in children with cerebrovascular disorders and stroke. I completed residencies in pediatrics and pediatric neurology, followed by a fellowship in neurology at Boston Children's Hospital -- broad training that allows me to treat the whole child.

I founded and direct the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center at Boston Children's Hospital. This program, novel at its inception at Boston Children’s Hospital, brings together care for these children from clinicians in the disciplines of neurology, hematology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, interventional neuroradiology, occupational therapy and physical therapy. In addition, we instituted a fellowship to accompany this new program, which is designed to train pediatric neurologists to evaluate and care for children who have stroke and cerebrovascular disorders.

We are excited to have created Boston Children's Hospital's acute response team for pediatric stroke known as the "Stroke Stat" system. This important service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assess and treat children who present with symptoms of acute stroke at Boston Children’s Hospital. This system of evaluation is designed to assess these patients rapidly in order to determine if they can be treated with  tissue plasminogen activator or intravascular treatments that have greatest efficacy when instituted early and accurately.

I also established and direct the Neurology Intermediate Care Unit, the only one of its kind. My service provides neurological consultations to patients in affiliated intensive care units, including the NICU and the cardiology ICU. Additionally, I am an attending physician for in-patient general neurology, intensive care neurology and neurologist of the week services. I am experienced in the management of increased cranial pressure, cerebral perfusion and neuroprotection.

Dr. Rivkin serves as an expert for the Department of Neurology for Boston Children's Hospital Precision Medicine Service. For more information about the Precision Medicine Service please visit bostonchildrens.org/precisionmed.

CERTIFICATIONS

  • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Child and Adolescent Neurology

PUBLICATIONS

Publications powered by Harvard Catalyst Profiles

  1. Child Neurology: Recurrent Brainstem Strokes and Aphthous Ulcers in a Child With Mutations in the ADA2 Gene. Neurology. 2021 May 26. View abstract
  2. Abnormal Right-Hemispheric Sulcal Patterns Correlate with Executive Function in Adolescents with Tetralogy of Fallot. Cereb Cortex. 2021 May 03. View abstract
  3. EEG features of brain injury during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in children. Neurology. 2020 09 08; 95(10):e1372-e1380. View abstract
  4. Spectrum of cerebral arteriopathies in children with arterial ischemic stroke. Neurology. 2020 06 09; 94(23):e2479-e2490. View abstract
  5. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Cerebrovascular Disease-Child. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020 May; 17(5S):S36-S54. View abstract
  6. Predicting Recovery and Outcome after Pediatric Stroke: Results from the International Pediatric Stroke Study. Ann Neurol. 2020 06; 87(6):840-852. View abstract
  7. Prevalence of Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Parents and Children Following Pediatric Stroke. J Child Neurol. 2020 06; 35(7):472-479. View abstract
  8. Abnormal Left-Hemispheric Sulcal Patterns Correlate with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Subjects with Single Ventricular Congenital Heart Disease. Cereb Cortex. 2020 03 21; 30(2):476-487. View abstract
  9. Risk of Intracranial Hemorrhage Following Intravenous tPA (Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator) for Acute Stroke Is Low in Children. Stroke. 2020 02; 51(2):542-548. View abstract
  10. Serial vessel wall MR imaging of pediatric tuberculous vasculitis. Neurol Clin Pract. 2019 Dec; 9(6):459-461. View abstract
  11. A Stroke Alert Protocol Decreases the Time to Diagnosis of Brain Attack Symptoms in a Pediatric Emergency Department. J Pediatr. 2020 01; 216:136-141.e6. View abstract
  12. Survey of practice patterns and preparedness for endovascular therapy in acute pediatric stroke. Childs Nerv Syst. 2019 12; 35(12):2371-2378. View abstract
  13. Stroke After Cardiac Catheterization in Children. Pediatr Neurol. 2019 11; 100:42-48. View abstract
  14. Characteristics and Outcome in Children With Craniectomy Following Acute Ischemic Stroke in the International Pediatric Stroke Study. J Child Neurol. 2019 10; 34(12):765-769. View abstract
  15. Arterial Ischemic Stroke Secondary to Cardiac Disease in Neonates and Children. Pediatr Neurol. 2019 11; 100:35-41. View abstract
  16. Pediatric CNS-isolated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2019 05; 6(3):e560. View abstract
  17. Ascending Aorta Size at Birth Predicts White Matter Microstructure in Adolescents Who Underwent Fontan Palliation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018 12 18; 7(24):e010395. View abstract
  18. Disrupted N-linked glycosylation as a disease mechanism in deficiency of ADA2. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018 10; 142(4):1363-1365.e8. View abstract
  19. Altered White Matter Microstructure Correlates with IQ and Processing Speed in Children and Adolescents Post-Fontan. J Pediatr. 2018 09; 200:140-149.e4. View abstract
  20. Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Changes in a Child With Posterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. Pediatr Neurol. 2018 07; 84:49-52. View abstract
  21. Whole Exome Sequencing Reveals a Monogenic Cause of Disease in ˜43% of 35 Families With Midaortic Syndrome. Hypertension. 2018 04; 71(4):691-699. View abstract
  22. Transient regional cerebral hypoperfusion during a paroxysmal hemiplegic event in GLUT1 deficiency syndrome. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2018 May; 22(3):544-547. View abstract
  23. Placental Pathology in Neonatal Stroke: A Retrospective Case-Control Study. J Pediatr. 2018 04; 195:39-47.e5. View abstract
  24. Graph theory analysis of cortical thickness networks in adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries. Brain Behav. 2018 02; 8(2):e00834. View abstract
  25. Moyamoya Disease in Children: Results From the International Pediatric Stroke Study. J Child Neurol. 2017 Oct; 32(11):924-929. View abstract
  26. Transient Focal Neurologic Symptoms Correspond to Regional Cerebral Hypoperfusion by MRI: A Stroke Mimic in Children. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2017 Nov; 38(11):2199-2202. View abstract
  27. Workup for Perinatal Stroke Does Not Predict Recurrence. Stroke. 2017 08; 48(8):2078-2083. View abstract
  28. Psychiatric Disorders and Function in Adolescents with Tetralogy of Fallot. J Pediatr. 2017 08; 187:165-173. View abstract
  29. Reduced cortical volume and thickness and their relationship to medical and operative features in post-Fontan children and adolescents. Pediatr Res. 2017 Jun; 81(6):881-890. View abstract
  30. O-003 The Brain as Extraintestinal IBD Manifestation: Are Brain and Cognitive Differences in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Associated with Immune Gene Expression? Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017 Feb; 23 Suppl 1:S1-S2. View abstract
  31. Psychiatric Disorders in Adolescents With Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatrics. 2017 Mar; 139(3). View abstract
  32. Pathways for Neuroimaging of Neonatal Stroke. Pediatr Neurol. 2017 04; 69:37-48. View abstract
  33. Pathways for Neuroimaging of Childhood Stroke. Pediatr Neurol. 2017 04; 69:11-23. View abstract
  34. White Matter Volume Predicts Language Development in Congenital Heart Disease. J Pediatr. 2017 02; 181:42-48.e2. View abstract
  35. Stroke in Neonates and Children. Pediatr Rev. 2016 Nov; 37(11):463-477. View abstract
  36. Stroke in Acquired and Congenital Heart Disease Patients and Its Relationship to Hospital Mortality and Lasting Neurologic Deficits. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2016 10; 17(10):976-983. View abstract
  37. Early-Term Birth in Single-Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease After the Fontan Procedure: Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Outcomes. J Pediatr. 2016 12; 179:96-103. View abstract
  38. Corrigendum to 'Guidelines for Urgent Management of Stroke in Children' [Pediatric Neurology 56 (2016) 8-17]. Pediatr Neurol. 2016 11; 64:105. View abstract
  39. Epilepsy as the 'echo' of acute stroke in children. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2017 01; 59(1):6. View abstract
  40. Organizational topology of brain and its relationship to ADHD in adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries. Brain Behav. 2016 08; 6(8):e00504. View abstract
  41. Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Performed in Acute Perinatal Stroke Reveals Hyperperfusion Associated With Ischemic Injury. Stroke. 2016 06; 47(6):1514-9. View abstract
  42. O-018 New Evidence for Structural Brain Differences in Pediatric Crohn's Disease: Impact of Underlying Disease Factors. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2016 Mar; 22 Suppl 1:S6-7. View abstract
  43. Guidelines for Urgent Management of Stroke in Children. Pediatr Neurol. 2016 Mar; 56:8-17. View abstract
  44. Fatal Central Nervous System Disease Following First Infliximab Infusion in a Child With Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Pediatr Neurol. 2016 Apr; 57:91-4. View abstract
  45. Neuropsychological Status and Structural Brain Imaging in Adolescents With Single Ventricle Who Underwent the Fontan Procedure. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015 Dec 14; 4(12). View abstract
  46. Preparing for a "Pediatric Stroke Alert". Pediatr Neurol. 2016 Mar; 56:18-24. View abstract
  47. The Way Forward: Challenges and Opportunities in Pediatric Stroke. Pediatr Neurol. 2016 Mar; 56:3-7. View abstract
  48. Predictors of Stroke After Transient Ischemic Attack in Children. Stroke. 2016 Jan; 47(1):88-93. View abstract
  49. Altered Gray Matter in Adolescents with d-Transposition of the Great Arteries. J Pediatr. 2016 Feb; 169:36-43.e1. View abstract
  50. Infection, vaccination, and childhood arterial ischemic stroke: Results of the VIPS study. Neurology. 2015 Oct 27; 85(17):1459-66. View abstract
  51. The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) component of the NIH MRI study of normal brain development (PedsDTI). Neuroimage. 2016 Jan 01; 124(Pt B):1125-1130. View abstract
  52. Reversible vasoconstriction syndrome involving the basilar artery in an adolescent: imaging and clinical features. Pediatr Neurol. 2015 Jun; 52(6):635-7. View abstract
  53. Relationship of white matter network topology and cognitive outcome in adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries. Neuroimage Clin. 2015; 7:438-48. View abstract
  54. Thrombolysis in pediatric stroke study. Stroke. 2015 Mar; 46(3):880-5. View abstract
  55. White matter microstructure and cognition in adolescents with congenital heart disease. J Pediatr. 2014 Nov; 165(5):936-44.e1-2. View abstract
  56. Perinatal arterial ischemic stroke: presentation, risk factors, evaluation, and outcome. Pediatr Neurol. 2014 Dec; 51(6):760-8. View abstract
  57. Psychiatric disorders and function in adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries. J Pediatr. 2014 Oct; 165(4):760-6. View abstract
  58. Emergence of the primary pediatric stroke center: impact of the thrombolysis in pediatric stroke trial. Stroke. 2014 Jul; 45(7):2018-23. View abstract
  59. Adolescents with tetralogy of Fallot: neuropsychological assessment and structural brain imaging. Cardiol Young. 2015 Feb; 25(2):338-47. View abstract
  60. Adolescents with D-transposition of the great arteries repaired in early infancy demonstrate reduced white matter microstructure associated with clinical risk factors. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2013 Sep; 146(3):543-9.e1. View abstract
  61. Intrapartum temperature elevation, epidural use, and adverse outcome in term infants. Pediatrics. 2012 Feb; 129(2):e447-54. View abstract
  62. Symptomatic neonatal arterial ischemic stroke: the International Pediatric Stroke Study. Pediatrics. 2011 Dec; 128(6):e1402-10. View abstract
  63. Adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries corrected with the arterial switch procedure: neuropsychological assessment and structural brain imaging. Circulation. 2011 Sep 20; 124(12):1361-9. View abstract
  64. Intracranial artery dissection in an adolescent with Marfan syndrome. Pediatr Neurol. 2011 Jul; 45(1):39-41. View abstract
  65. Postnatal-onset microcephaly: pathogenesis, patterns of growth, and prediction of outcome. Pediatrics. 2011 Apr; 127(4):665-71. View abstract
  66. Developmental fMRI study of episodic verbal memory encoding in children. Neurology. 2010 Dec 07; 75(23):2110-6. View abstract
  67. 16p11.2-related paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and dopa-responsive parkinsonism in a child. Neurology. 2009 Aug 11; 73(6):479-80. View abstract
  68. T(2) relaxometry of normal pediatric brain development. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2009 Feb; 29(2):258-67. View abstract
  69. Volumetric MRI study of brain in children with intrauterine exposure to cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Pediatrics. 2008 Apr; 121(4):741-50. View abstract
  70. Changes in cerebral cortex of children treated for medulloblastoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007 Jul 15; 68(4):992-8. View abstract
  71. The NIH MRI study of normal brain development (Objective-2): newborns, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Neuroimage. 2007 Mar; 35(1):308-25. View abstract
  72. Regional brain development in serial magnetic resonance imaging of low-risk preterm infants. Pediatrics. 2006 Jul; 118(1):23-33. View abstract
  73. Complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI; I: structure and function. Magn Reson Imaging. 2006 May; 24(4):463-74. View abstract
  74. X-linked creatine transporter defect: a report on two unrelated boys with a severe clinical phenotype. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2006 Feb; 29(1):214-9. View abstract
  75. Everyday cognitive function after craniopharyngioma in childhood. Pediatr Neurol. 2006 Jan; 34(1):13-9. View abstract
  76. Prolonged T*2 values in newborn versus adult brain: Implications for fMRI studies of newborns. Magn Reson Med. 2004 Jun; 51(6):1287-91. View abstract
  77. Early experience alters brain function and structure. Pediatrics. 2004 Apr; 113(4):846-57. View abstract
  78. Biochemical and molecular analyses of infantile free sialic acid storage disease in North American children. . 2003 Jul 01; 120A(1):28-33. View abstract
  79. Opening the window into brain development in children more widely with magnetic resonance imaging. Pediatrics. 2003 Jun; 111(6 Pt 1):1432-3. View abstract
  80. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of paced finger tapping in children. Pediatr Neurol. 2003 Feb; 28(2):89-95. View abstract
  81. Practice parameter: neuroimaging of the neonate: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology. 2002 Jun 25; 58(12):1726-38. View abstract
  82. Biexponential apparent diffusion coefficient parametrization in adult vs newborn brain. Magn Reson Imaging. 2001 Jun; 19(5):659-68. View abstract
  83. Fos-related antigen 2: potential mediator of the transcriptional activation in rat adrenal medulla evoked by repeated immobilization stress. J Neurosci. 2000 Aug 01; 20(15):5647-53. View abstract
  84. Developmental neuroimaging of children using magnetic resonance techniques. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2000; 6(1):68-80. View abstract
  85. MR line-scan diffusion-weighted imaging of term neonates with perinatal brain ischemia. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1999 Oct; 20(9):1658-70. View abstract
  86. Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy: diagnosis by rectal biopsy. Am J Surg Pathol. 1998 Sep; 22(9):1141-7. View abstract
  87. Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the term newborn. Neuropathology, clinical aspects, and neuroimaging. Clin Perinatol. 1997 Sep; 24(3):607-25. View abstract
  88. Glucocorticoids elevate GTP cyclohydrolase I mRNA levels in vivo and in PC12 cells. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 1997 Sep; 48(2):251-8. View abstract
  89. Strokes in children. Pediatr Rev. 1996 Aug; 17(8):265-78. View abstract
  90. A syndrome of multiorgan hyperplasia with features of gigantism, tumorigenesis, and female sterility in p27(Kip1)-deficient mice. Cell. 1996 May 31; 85(5):733-44. View abstract
  91. Oligodendroglial development in human fetal cerebrum. Ann Neurol. 1995 Jul; 38(1):92-101. View abstract
  92. Identification of an antisense transcript from the IGF-II locus in mouse. Mol Reprod Dev. 1993 Aug; 35(4):394-7. View abstract
  93. Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the newborn. Semin Neurol. 1993 Mar; 13(1):30-9. View abstract
  94. A search for X-chromosome uniparental disomy and DNA rearrangements in the Rett syndrome. Brain Dev. 1992 Jul; 14(4):273-5. View abstract
  95. Neonatal idiopathic cerebral venous thrombosis: an unrecognized cause of transient seizures or lethargy. Ann Neurol. 1992 Jul; 32(1):51-6. View abstract
  96. Carotid dissection presenting as posterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Neurology. 1990 Sep; 40(9):1469. View abstract
  97. Generalized seizures in an infant due to environmentally acquired cocaine. Pediatrics. 1989 Dec; 84(6):1100-2. View abstract
  98. Pulmonary infections in the immunocompromised child. Adv Pediatr Infect Dis. 1987; 2:161-80. View abstract