Practical Neurology recent issues

Editor's choice

Warlow, C. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

What next for medical journals?

Godlee, F. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

Diagnosis and management of the limb girdle muscular dystrophies

Bushby, K. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

Making the diagnosis of a particular type of limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) can appear challenging. In fact, various clues from the way the patient presents, and the results of simple investigations such as creatine kinase levels, can be extremely helpful in sorting out the various disease entities within this group of patients. The results of more specialised testing of the muscle biopsy and DNA sequencing offer the prospect of a clear answer in around 75% of cases. As more is understood about the clinical features of the different types of LGMD, targeted management is increasingly possible, especially focusing on those patients at high risk of cardiac and respiratory complications.

Assess and interpret the visual fields at the bedside

Cooper, S A, Metcalfe, R A — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

Understanding and applying a bedside visual field assessment is an important skill for the neurologist. By appreciating some basic anatomical and physiological principles it is possible to target the examination appropriately, thus gaining important diagnostic information with the minimum of fuss. Specific patterns of visual loss are caused by damage at various sites within the visual pathway. This review focuses on techniques that can be used at the bedside to identify common visual field defects and cites examples by dividing the visual system into its component parts. We urge the use of an appropriately sized red pin and berate the well worn "waggling finger" technique.

The borderland of neuromyelitis optica

Matthews, L. A E, Baig, F., Palace, J., Turner, M. R — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), also known as Devic’s disease, is an emerging clinical and pathological entity originally thought to be a variant of multiple sclerosis. Characterised by episodes of demyelination confined to the optic nerve and spinal cord, the discovery in such patients of antibodies to the aquaporin-4 channel has been largely responsible for defining the phenotype to date. Recently it has become clear that there is a borderland where there are patients with optic neuritis-only and myelitis-only forms of the disease, and these may be seronegative in the early phase. We describe two cases of optic neuritis-only NMO, and explore the current understanding of the diagnosis and spectrum of NMO disorders.

It's all in the history (a continuing story)

Morrish, P. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

When a clear crystal makes a case crystal clear

Bena, R., Zuger, M., Pung, T., Gallus, E., Weisshaupt, C., Krause, M. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

Neuropoppycockology

Hawkes, C. H — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:58 PST

From pseudotumour cerebri to idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Pearce, J M S — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:59 PST

Dying with dignity in neurodegenerative disorders

van Gijn, J. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:59 PST

Traveller's headache

Knight, B., Cader, S., Awad, M., Sabin, I., Gawler, J. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:59 PST

Brazil

de Oliveira, J. R. M. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:59 PST

Myasthenia gravis and other neuromuscular junction disorders

Jacob, S., Viegas, S., Lashley, D., Hilton-Jones, D. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:59 PST

CARPHOLOGY by A Fo Ben

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:17:59 PST