Newcastle University

Introduction

Rob Forsyth is a specialist paediatric (child) neurologist and researcher in aspects of brain disease in children. He is a Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University and also an NHS Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at the Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. His clinical work includes management of neurological conditions in children both in outpatient and inpatient settings, including paediatric neurointensive care.

His main research interest is acquired brain injury in children: how to prevent it, how best to treat it in the early intensive care phase and above all how best to optimise outcomes through rehabilitation. He is developing methods to allow careful, systematic clinical trials of novel rehabilitation treatments to see if they improve outcome.

He also collaborates with basic scientists in Newcastle and elsewhere exploring novel treatments for epilepsies in childhood

He was UK national training advisor in paediatric neurology 2003-9 and co-edited the Oxford Specialist Handbook in Paediatric Neurology (second edition due March 2012). He was on the editorial board of the journal Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology from 2004-2011. He is a Trustee of the UK Children's Neurological Research Campaign

Previous Positions

Jan - Dec 1997. Fellow, Department of Paediatric Neurology, British Columbia Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

1995-1996. First Assistant, Newcastle University

1991-1994. Wellcome Clinical Research Fellow, Newcastle University 

Qualifications

PhD FRCPCH MRCP DCH MA(Cantab) BM BCh

Research Interests

Optimisation of recovery from acquired brain injury in children. Measurement of participation of disabled children, and of factors affecting this.

Other Expertise

Paediatric rehabilitation, epilepsy

Funding

2011-2015. Phase 1 trial of 5% carbogen in the management of paediatric non-convulsive status epilepticus. Epilepsy Research UK. £25k.

Senior editor,  Oxford Specialist Handbook of Paediatric Neurology 2007 (second edition in press). Oxford University Press.

Former National Training Adviser in Paediatric Neurology 2004-2010. 

• Nesbitt V, Kirkpatrick M, Pearson G, Colver A, Forsyth R. Risk and causes of death in children with a seizure disorder. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Flatt JF, Guizouarn H, Burton N, Borgese F, Tomlinson RJ, Forsyth RJ, Baldwin SA, Levinson BE, Quittet P, Aguilar-Martinez P, Delaunay J, Stewart GW, Bruce LJ. A haemato-neurological disease caused by mutations in SLC2A1, coding for the GLUT1 glucose transporter. In: 51st Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Society for Haematology. 2011, Brighton, UK: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Varier S, Kaiser M, Forsyth R. Establishing, versus Maintaining, Brain Function: A Neuro-computational Model of Cortical Reorganization after Injury to the Immature Brain. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2011, 17(6), 1030-1038.
• Kirkham FJ, Haywood P, Kashyape P, Borbone J, Lording A, Pryde K, Cox M, Keslake J, Smith M, Cuthbertson L, Murugan V, Mackie S, Thomas NH, Whitney A, Forrest KM, Parker A, Forsyth R, Kipps CM. Movement disorder emergencies in childhood. In: European Journal of Paediatric Neurology: 9th European Pediatric Neurology Society Congress. 2011, Cavtat, Croatia: Elsevier Ltd.
• Dasarathi M, Grace J, Kelly T, Forsyth R. Utilization of mental health services by survivors of severe paediatric traumatic brain injury: a population-based study. Child: Care, Health and Development 2011, 37(3), 418-421.
• Forsyth R, Vu T, Salorio CF, Christensen J, Holford N. Efficient rehabilitation trial designs using disease progress modelling: a paediatric traumatic brain injury example. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair 2010. :Sage Publications, Inc.,24 3 225-234.
• Forsyth RJ, Salorio CF, Christensen JR. Modelling early recovery patterns after paediatric traumatic brain injury. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2010, 95(4), 266-270.
• Forsyth R, Wolny S, Rodrigues B. Routine intracranial pressure monitoring in acute coma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, (2), -.
• Forsyth R, McNally R, James P, Crossland K, Woolley M, Colver A. Variation at local government level in the support for families of severely disabled children and the factors that affect it. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2010, 52(11), e259-e266.
• Forsyth RJ. Efficient translational rehabilitation randomised controlled trial designs using disease progress modelling and trial simulation. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation 2009, 19(6), 891-903.
• Lo TYM, Jones PA, Chambers IR, Beattie TF, Forsyth R, Mendelow AD, Minns RA. Modulating effect of apolipoprotein E polymorphisms on secondary brain insult and outcome after childhood brain trauma. Childs Nervous System 2009, 25(1), 47-54.
• Forsyth R. Describing outcome after acquired brain injury: Ending the quest for the holy grail. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2008. , 50(6), 405-.
• Sonmez S, Forsyth RJ, Matthews DSF, Clarke M, Splitt M. Oliver-McFarlane syndrome (chorioretinopathy-pituitary dysfunction) with prominent early pituitary dysfunction: differentiation from choroideremia-hypopituitarism. Clinical Dysmorphology 2008, 17(4), 265-267.
• Forsyth RJ, Parslow RC, Tasker RC, Hawley C, Morris KP. Prediction of raised intracranial pressure complicating severe traumatic brain injury in children: implications for trial design. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 2008, 9(1), 8-14.
• Forsyth RJ, Gika AD, Ginjaar I, Tijssen MAJ. A novel GLRA1 mutation in a recessive hyperekplexia pedigree. Movement Disorders 2007, 22(11), 1643-1645.
• Forsyth RJ, Colver AF, Alvanides S, Woolley M, Lowe M. Participation of young severely disabled children is influenced by their intrinsic impairments and environment. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2007, 49(5), 345-349.
• Chambers IR, Jones PA, Lo TY, Forsyth RJ, Fulton B, Andrews PJ, Mendelow AD, Minns RA. Critical thresholds of intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure related to age in paediatric head injury. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2006, 77(2), 234-240.
• Morris KP, Forsyth RJ, Parslow RC, Tasker RC, Hawley CA. Intracranial pressure complicating severe traumatic brain injury in children: monitoring and management. Intensive Care Medicine 2006, 32(10), 1606-1612.
• Tasker RC, Morris KP, Forsyth RJ, Hawley CA, Parslow RC, UK Paediat Brain Injury Study G, Paediat Intens Care Soc Grp. Severe head injury in children: emergency access to neurosurgery in the United Kingdom. Emergency Medicine Journal 2006, 23(7), 519-522.
• Forsyth R. The CHALICE rule: ready for prime time?. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2006. London, UK: BMJ Group, 91(11), 877-878.
• Forsyth RJ, Kelly TP, Wicks B, Walker S. 'Must try harder?': A family empowerment intervention for acquired brain injury. Developmental Neurorehabilitation 2005, 8(2), 140-143.
• Brett MM, McLauchlin J, Harris A, O'Brien S, Black N, Forsyth RJ, Roberts D, Bolton RJ. A case of infant botulism with a possible link to infant formula milk powder: Evidence for the presence of more than one strain of Clostridium botulinum in clinical specimens and food. Journal of Medical Microbiology 2005, 54(8), 769-776.
• Lo TYM, Jones PA, Croft J, Wilson G, Beattie TF, Forsyth R, Mendelow AD, Minns RA. Apolipoprotein E genetic polymorphisms and childhood traumatic brain injury: influence on age-specific secondary physiological derangements and outcome. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2005,47 Suppl 101 5.
• Forsyth RJ, Morris K, Parslow RC, Hawley C, Tasker RC. Design of randomized controlled trials of the management of raised intracranial pressure in paediatric traumatic brain injury. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2005,47 Suppl 101 4.
• Colver A, Parkinson K, Forsyth R, Dickinson H. Development of an instrument to assess environmental factors relevant to children with cerebral palsy in Europe. In: European Academy of Childhood Disability.2005,Monaco
• Parslow RC, Morris KP, Tasker RC, Forsyth RJ, Hawley CA, UK Paediat Traumat Brain Injury St, Paediat Intens Care Soc Study Grp. Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury in children receiving intensive care in the UK. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2005,90 11 1182-1187.
• Forsyth R. Paediatrics: genetic insights and long-term follow-up. Lancet Neurology 2005,4 1 8-8.
• Jones PA, Chambers IR, Lo TYM, Forsyth RJ, Fulton B, Mendelow AD, Minns RA. [abstract] The value of mean cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), mean intracranial pressure (ICP), and mean arterial pressure e (MAP) from successive 6-hour epochs as a predictor of outcome after children’s’ head injury. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2005,47 S101 5.
• Forsyth RJ. Voices from the past: Cognitive modifiability in retarded adolescents: effects of instrumental enrichment. Pediatric Rehabilitation 2004,7 1 17-29.
• Lo TM, Jones PA, Chambers IR, Clark A, Croft J, Wilson G, Fulton B, Forsyth RJ, Andrews PJD, Mendelow AD, Minns RA. [abstract] Critical cerebral perfusion pressure thresholds in paediatric traumatic brain injury. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2004, 46(s98), 11.
• Forsyth RJ. Neurological and cognitive decline in adolescence. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2003,74 -.
• Forsyth RJ, Jayamoni B. Noradrenergic agonists for acute traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, 1, CD003984.
• Forsyth R, Jarvis S. Participation in childhood. Child: Care, Health and Development 2002, 28(4), 277-279.
• Forsyth R. Rehabilitation after brain injury. Current Paediatrics 2002, 12(4), 275-278.
• Crouchman M, Rossiter L, Colaco T, Forsyth R. A practical outcome scale for paediatric head injury. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2001, 84(2), 120-124.
• Forsyth RJ, Wong CP, Kelly TP, Borrill H, Stilgoe D, Kendall S, Eyre JA. Cognitive and adaptive outcomes and age at insult effects after non-traumatic coma. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2001,84 3 200-204.
• Gennery AJ, Cant A, Forsyth RJ. Development of parainfectious opsoclonus in an infant by a non-humoral immune mechanism. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 2001, 43(3), 213-214.
• Leonard H, Forsyth R. Friedreich's ataxia presenting after cardiac transplantation. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2001, 84(2), 167-168.
• Forsyth RJ, Maconochie I, Baumer H. Guidelines for Good Practice: Early management of patients with a head injury. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 2001.
• Wong CP, Forsyth RJ, Kelly TP, Eyre JA. Incidence, aetiology, and outcome of non-traumatic coma: A population based study. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2001,84 3 193-199.
• Ziakas NG, Wong CP, Ramsay AS, Bamashmus MA, Forsyth RJ, Eyre JA, Clarke MP. Visual impairment in children with acute non-traumatic coma. Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus 2001,38 1 6-10.
• Forsyth R, Farrell K. Headache in Childhood. Pediatrics in Review 1999, 20(2), 39-45.