Who could have foretold, from the structure of the brain, that wine could derange its functions? Hippocrates (c. 460 BCE to 370 BCE) Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational psychoactive substance worldwide. While moderate drinking may be beneficial to…
Adverse drug reactions are a common and important cause of morbidity and hospital admission and are a major burden on the healthcare budget. Drug reactions commonly involve the nervous system, causing a variety of disorders that may be serious and…
Neurologic disorders may present first during pregnancy, and their investigation and treatment may be complicated by concerns for the safety of the developing fetus. Furthermore, the natural history of certain pre-existing diseases may be affected by pregnancy, and obstetric management…
Sexual excitement and satisfaction from adequate stimuli are a normal component of a fulfilled life. The somatic and psychosocial factors involved may be compromised by neurologic disease. Sexual dysfunction may occur as the presenting symptom of a developing neurologic disease…
Lower urinary tract dysfunction is common in patients with neurologic disease. The neurogenic bladder can result from lesions affecting any part of the nervous system. Symptoms are often bothersome and may have a significant impact on quality of life. Some…
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) are two of the major modalities used to treat cancer. Their goal is to kill or inactivate enough cancer cells that the body’s own defenses can control the disease without unacceptable damage to normal tissue.…
The term paraneoplastic syndrome is often used to refer to symptoms or signs resulting from dysfunction of organs or tissues caused by a cancer, but which are not a direct effect of invasion by the neoplasm or its metastases. Perhaps…
The entire nervous system is potentially vulnerable to metastatic disease, typically occurring in the setting of a known disseminated systemic malignancy. Approximately 45 percent of patients with systemic cancer and neurologic deficits are found to have metastatic involvement of the…
Anemia Iron-Deficiency Anemia Nonspecific neurologic symptoms of tiredness, fatigue, weakness, poor concentration, irritability, faintness, dizziness, tinnitus, and headache are commonly associated with anemia. Occasionally, more concrete neurologic syndromes arise, such as the association of both idiopathic intracranial hypertension and cerebral…
Perhaps more than any other realm of neurology, neuro-ophthalmologic disorders require a systematic approach that emphasizes precise localization guided by the patient’s history followed by confirmation with specific examination maneuvers. To this end, the neurologist should be familiar with specialized…