A Handbook of Neurological Investigations in Children

by King, Mary D.; Stephenson, John B. P.

• ISBN13: 9781898683698
• ISBN10: 1898683697
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-09-15
• Publisher: Mac Keith Press

Summary

Neurological disorders in children are common: families want to know what is wrong, why it happened, and whether it will happen again. Management and treatment depend on establishing the diagnosis, which usually requires investigations, but the number of possible neurological investigations is now very large indeed, and uncritical investigations may be seriously misleading. This book, based on the authors' vast combined personal experience, gives practical guidance on how to target any specific condition with the minimum of tests.Part 1 is a brief distillation of advice on clinical history and examination, introducing the problems that beset those who deal with neurological disorders in childhood. Part 2 outlines the investigations available to solve these diagnostic problems. Part 3 takes a problem-oriented approach to the most appropriate investigations in the various clinical scenarios that may present to the practitioner: the starting point is the patient's presentation, not the diagnosis. Throughout, vignettes of real cases help to illustrate the use of the tests in different clinical situations.The authors co-wrote the hugely popular Handbook of Neurological Investigations ("the Blue Book") 20 years ago. This new book, while closely following the highly successful approach of the earlier title, is entirely new and up to date, with fresh material, new case vignettes, and additional investigations covered.

Author Biography

Dr Mary D. King (Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Children's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland) and Professor John B. Stephenson (Honorary Professor in Paediatric Neurology and Senior Research Fellow, Division of Developmental Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK)

Table of Contents

Contents (contributors where applicable)

Foreword

Introduction

Clinical Approach

History highlights

Examination essentials

Investigations

Video

Electroencephalography

Electromyography and nerve conduction

Evoked potentials

Structural imaging

Functional imaging

Cerebrospinal fluid

Cardiac tests

Autonomic function

Histology: cells and biopsies

Microbiology

Haematology

Immunology

Genetic investigations

Biochemistry

Anti-epileptic drug monitoring

Diagnosis by therapeutic trial

Miscellaneous

Disorders Or Diseases

Neonatal seizures

Abnormal neonatal neurology

Flat baby

Non-development

Stiff baby

Floppy baby

Delayed infant

Unresponsive infant

Wobbly eyed baby

Small head

Large head

'Cerebral palsy'

Peculiar gait

Learning difficulties

Speech and language disorders

Psychiatric disorders

Epileptic seizures and epilepsy

Febrile seizures

Paroxysmal disorders

Epileptic with non-epileptic disorders

Acquired neurological defects

Acute encephalopathy

Headache

Weakness and fatigue

Ataxia

Movement disorders

Progressive loss of skills

Dementia

Rare treatable disorders

Appendices

Predictive value of investigation results

Some normal values

Sources for unusual investigations

Internet resources

Case history diagnoses

References

Indices

Index of investigations

Index of disorders

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