Clinical Neurology: A Primer (Original PDF from Publisher)

Peter Gates MBBS FRACP (Author)

This is a clinical neurology book for students and non neurologists, and for those who teach them. The book covers neuroanatomy, history taking and examination and then proceeds to discuss the clinical features of common problems as well as selected, less common neurological disorders, in a way that will demystify a part of medicine that many find complex and difficult to understand. The book is accompanied by a DVD explaining concepts, demonstrating techniques of performing the neurological examination and demonstration of abnormal neurological signs.

The first chapter is devoted to neuroanatomy from a clinical viewpoint. The concept of localising problems by likening the nervous system to a map grid with vertical meridians of longitude (the ascending sensory pathways and the descending motor pathway)and horizontal parallels of latitude (cortical signs, brainstem cranial nerves, nerve roots and peripheral nerves) of the nervous system is developed. Subsequent chapters take the reader through the neurological examination and the common neurological presentations from a symptom oriented approach. Chapter 4 contains a very simple method of understanding the brainstem, the “rule of 4”. Chapter 6 discusses the approach after the history and examination are completed. The final chapter is an overview of how to approach information gathering and keeping up-to-date using the complex information streams available.