Cranial Nerve Diseases
Cranial Nerve Diseases Mary M. Guanci Certain cranial nerves (CNs) are especially vulnerable to injury because of their location within the cranial vault. CNs may be compressed by the vasculature…
Peripheral Neuropathies
Peripheral Neuropathies Joanne V. Hickey Peripheral neuropathy is defined as a condition in which there is alteration in function and structure of the motor, sensory, or autonomic components of a…
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Joanne V. Hickey The clinical and pathological findings of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were first described by Charcot in 1872.1 In more than 100 years since first…
Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia Gravis Wilma J. Koopman Joanne V. Hickey Acquired myasthenia gravis (MG) is an uncommon chronic disease of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in which an autoimmune process in most cases…
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis Megan R. Weigel Joanne V. Hickey Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which predominantly affects white matter, though gray matter…
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease Joanne V. Hickey Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease (AD). PD is characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the…
Cerebral Aneurysms
Cerebral Aneurysms Deidre A. Buckley Joanne V. Hickey OVERVIEW A cerebral aneurysm is a saccular outpouching of a cerebral artery. Intracranial saccular aneurysms or berry aneurysms account for approximately 80%…
Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementias, and Alzheimer’s Disease
Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementias, and Alzheimer’s Disease Vaunette P. Fay Christine St. Michel MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT The term mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents an intermediate stage of cognitive function between…
Overview of Chronic Disease and Chronic Illness
Overview of Chronic Disease and Chronic Illness This section of the book addresses five common neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,…
Infections of the Central Nervous System
Infections of the Central Nervous System Michelle VanDemark Joanne V. Hickey Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) can be life-threatening and require early recognition and treatment to improve outcomes….
