A photo of Steve W. Wu.

Steve W. Wu, MD

  • Director, Movement Disorder Clinic and Tourette Syndrome Clinic
  • Medical Director, Dystonia Program
  • Division of Neurology
  • Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
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First, I like to hear from patients and their parents about how involuntary movements affect their quality of life. I then use that information to help create a care plan for each patient.
Steve W. Wu, MD

About

Biography

As a pediatric neurologist, I use different treatment options to help my patients regulate their abnormal motor movements. I care for patients in the Dystonia/Deep Brain Stimulation Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s.

First, I like to hear from patients and their parents about how involuntary movements affect their quality of life. I then use that information to help create a care plan for each patient. Treatment possibilities for movement disorders may include psychological and behavioral therapy, oral medications, botulinum toxin (Botox) injections and deep brain stimulation.

From a research perspective, my interests focus on movement disorders, neurophysiology and the neuroplasticity of the brain. I am interested in how people control and carry out normal movements. I’m working to figure out the physiological properties associated with the control of motor movements.

I have received research grants from the Tourette Association of America and collaborated on different projects funded by the National Institutes of Health.

In my free time, I like to enjoy sunshine and warm weather.

BA: University of California, Berkeley, CA, 1997.

MD: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 2003.

Residency: Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2003-2008.

Fellowship: Pediatric Movement Disorders, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2008-2009.

Interests

Pediatric neurology with specialty in pediatric movement disorder; botulinum toxin (Botox) injection for dystonia, spasticity, tics; deep brain stimulation (DBS); AADC (aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase) deficiency

Services and Specialties

Neurology, Tourette Syndrome, Dystonia and Surgical Movement Disorders, Rasopathy, Cerebrovascular

Interests

Neuroplasticity; movement disorders; transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS); electroencephalography (EEG); electromyography (EMG)

Research Areas

Neurology

Additional Languages

Chinese

Insurance Information

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Publications

Differences in Tic Severity Among Adolescent Girls and Boys with Tourette Syndrome During the Pandemic. Larsh, TR; Wu, SW; Huddleston, DA; Lipps, TD; Gilbert, DL. Neuropediatrics: journal of pediatric neurobiology, neurology and neurosurgery. 2024; 55:67-70.

From urges to tics in children with Tourette syndrome: associations with supplementary motor area GABA and right motor cortex physiology. Larsh, TR; Huddleston, DA; Horn, PS; Wu, SW; Cecil, KM; Jackson, HS; Edden, RA E; Mostofsky, SH; Gilbert, DL. Cerebral Cortex. 2023; 33:3922-3933.

Adolescent Gender Differences in Tic- and Non-Tic-Related Impairments in Tourette Syndrome. Larsh, TR; Wu, SW; Huddleston, DA; White, S; Lipps, TD; Gilbert, DL. Journal of Child Neurology. 2023; 38:283-289.

Spectrum of Pediatric to Early Adulthood POLR3A-Associated Movement Disorders. Zea Vera, A; Bruce, A; Larsh, TR; Jordan, Z; Brüggemann, N; Westenberger, A; Espay, AJ; Gilbert, DL; Wu, SW. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice. 2023; 10:316-322.

Neocortical localization and thalamocortical modulation of neuronal hyperexcitability contribute to Fragile X Syndrome. Pedapati, EV; Schmitt, LM; Ethridge, LE; Miyakoshi, M; Sweeney, JA; Liu, R; Smith, E; Shaffer, RC; Dominick, KC; Gilbert, DL; et al. Communications Biology. 2022; 5:442.

Deep Brain Stimulation for Pediatric Dystonia: A Review of the Literature and Suggested Programming Algorithm. Gelineau-Morel, R; Kruer, MC; Garris, JF; Abu Libdeh, A; Barbosa, DA N; Coffman, KA; Moon, D; Barton, C; Zea Vera, A; Bruce, AB; et al. Journal of Child Neurology. 2022; 37:813-824.

Comparison of Impairment in Functional Tic Disorders Versus Tourette Syndrome. Larsh, TR; Wu, SW; Gilbert, DL. Pediatric Neurology. 2022; 134:83-84.

The Phenomenology of Tics and Tic-Like Behavior in TikTok. Zea Vera, A; Bruce, A; Garris, J; Tochen, L; Bhatia, P; Lehman, RK; Lopez, W; Wu, SW; Gilbert, DL. Pediatric Neurology. 2022; 130:14-20.

EEG Correlates of Active Stopping and Preparation for Stopping in Chronic Tic Disorder. Vera, AZ; Pedapati, EV; Larsh, TR; Kohmescher, K; Miyakoshi, M; Huddleston, DA; Jackson, HS; Gilbert, DL; Horn, PS; Wu, SW. Brain Sciences. 2022; 12:151.

Deep Brain Stimulation for Pediatric Dystonia. Larsh, T; Wu, SW; Vadivelu, S; Grant, GA; O'Malley, JA. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. 2021; 38:100896.

Patient Ratings and Comments

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4.6
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