Search result for "MEDICAL / Neurology"
Acute heat illnesses
Suspect always heatstroke when physical activity is accompanied by hot skin, altered consciousnes...
Acute porphyria
Acute intermittent porphyria, porphyria variegata, and to a lesser degree hereditary coproporphyr...
ADHD
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder that has at...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
The terms ALS and motor neurone disease (MND) are often used interchangeably. ALS is the most com...
An unconscious patient
An unconscious patient cannot communicate, is unarousable and does not obey commands. Unconscious...
Aphasia
Aphasia is a disorder affecting the processing, formulation and comprehension of spoken and writt...
Assessment of physical and cognitive functioning
Many different measures are used in the assessment of physical, cognitive and psychological funct...
Ataxia
Ataxia is defined as an inability to coordinate movements. Ataxia produces, for example, balance ...
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common vertigo inducing vestibular disord...
Brain and spinal cord tumours
A tumour is found in about one fifth of adult patients who present with newly diagnosed epilepsy ...
Brain contusion
Brain contusion can be suspectedif a patient with brain injury is unconscious for several minutes...
Brain death
The death of a person refers to the permanent cessation of all integrated brain function. Brain d...
Cerebral infarction (ischaemic stroke)
The treatment of cerebral infarction has been intensified during the recent years. Most patients ...
Chronic pain
The principal treatment responsibility of pain patients lies with the primary health care. Specia...
Clinical assessment of memory impairment
If a progressive memory disease is suspected (e.g. one of the domains in the CERAD test battery i...
Clinical neurophysiology in diagnostics
Clinical neurophysiology is a branch of medicine concerned with the measurement of the electrical...
Clinical use of neuroradiological imaging
Always consider, whether the possible benefit from the investigation is greater than the harm to ...
Curable causes of memory-related symptoms and diseases
Identify curable causes of memory-related symptoms and diseases. Treat these patients before thei...
Delirium in the elderly
Delirium or acute confusional state is an extensive, rapid-onset disturbance of brain function du...
Depression, drugs and somatic diseases
Depression is a common disorder related to other psychiatric and somatic diseases, and it often c...
Detection of neurological disorders in children
Refer all children with developmental stagnation for further investigations without delay. Tre...
Diabetic neuropathy
The diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy is based on the diagnosis of diabetes, typical symptoms and ...
Differential diagnostics of episodic symptoms
The majority of episodic symptoms are benign, but the possibility of potentially serious conditio...
Diseases of the spinal cord
The first thing to assess is whether symptoms originating from the spinal cord are caused by a tr...
Encephalitis
Encephalitis should be suspected in patients with acute-onset headache, confusion, fever or cloud...
Encephalitis in children
All children with suspected encephalitis should be investigated and treated in a hospital. Signs ...
Epilepsy in children
Early diagnosis of childhood epilepsy is important and often improves prognosis. Epilepsy startin...
Examining a patient after an epileptic seizure
The first physician attending to the patient should establish and record the course of the seizur...
Eyelid myokymia
Benign, self-limited muscle contractions usually involving the orbicularis oculi muscle Not assoc...
Falls of the elderly
In 10% of cases, falls of the elderly lead to serious injuries, e.g. hip fractures. Reduce alread...
Fatigue
Fatigue may be associated with many chronic diseases. Diseases possibly causing fatigue should be...
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is a progressive memory disease with three typical symptom pict...
Gait disturbances
In a young or working-aged person gait disturbance is most often caused by a specific disease. In...
Guidelines regarding sudden unexpected death in infancy
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) may be prevented by instructing parents not to let the infant...
Guillain-Barré syndrome (polyradiculitis)
Polyneuritis is an inflammation of the nerve roots. It affects mainly the motor nerves and has an...
Headache
Headache is experienced by 70–95% of all people at some point in their life.Thorough patien...
Headache in children
Sporadic headaches are common and do not require further investigations or treatment. Headache ma...
Hiccup
Hiccup is a myoclonus of the diaphragm in which the diaphragmatic muscle is suddenly contracted. ...
Hydrocephalus and shunt complications
Approximately 500 ml of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is formed within the brain each day, principall...
Hyperventilation
Recognize and treat non-psychogenic causes of hyperventilation. In elderly persons, psychogenic c...
Increased intracranial pressure
The possibility of increased intracranial pressure must be considered in a patient whose symptoms...
Insomnia
There is usually no single cause of insomnia but, in addition to medical causes, there are a numb...
Intracerebral haemorrhage
Intracerebral haemorrhage is the cause of ca. 15% of strokes. Hypertension is the most common cau...
Intracranial aneurysm and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)
Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) should be suspected however slight the symptoms, and the diagnosis...
Intracranial haematomas
Suspect an intracranial haematoma when a patient with a head injury has progressive headache, con...
Involuntary movements
Involuntary movements (dyskinesias) are often caused by an injury or disorder in the extrapyramid...
Learning disorders
Learning disorders include difficulties in reading and writing, disturbances in arithmetic skills...
Listeriosis
Pregnant women, persons with immunodeficiency and elderly persons with multiple diseases must avo...
Lumbar puncture, examination of cerebrospinal fluid and findings
A general practitioner usually has to perform a lumbar puncture only in an emergency setting.
Meningitis
Bacterial meningitis should always be suspected in a patient with headache, high fever and neck s...
Meningitis in children
Suspect bacterial meningitis if a child is clearly ill and has severe symptoms. Acute bacterial m...
Mental disorders due to somatic disease
Somatic diseases that cause psychiatric symptoms particularly in the early phase should be identi...
Meralgia paraesthetica
Entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in the inguinal area Seen especially in middle-...
Migraine
The therapy for mild migraine consists of paracetamol, aspirin or NSAIDs either alone or combined...
Mild traumatic brain injury (concussion)
Mild traumatic brain injury has to be recognized, the condition of the patient assessed and an ap...
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology that affects the white matt...
Muscle weakness and paralysis symptom
The underlying causes of muscle weakness or a paralysis symptom may include disorders of the uppe...
Myasthenia gravis and myasthenic syndrome
Myasthenia gravis is arare autoimmune disease, in which the function of the myoneural junction of...
Narcolepsy and other hypersomnias of central origin
These conditions are very rare causes of excessive sleepiness but should nevertheless be identifi...
Nausea and vomiting
The most common cause of acute nausea is an acute gastroenteritis. The patient usually has concur...
Nerve entrapment and compression disorders
Compression neuropathy, i.e. peripheral nerve compression, is caused by external pressure on the ...
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
The possibility of neuroleptic malignant syndrome should be kept in mind in patients on antipsych...
Neurological disorders and alcohol
It is recommended that as a general precaution all patients with a known history of chronic alcoh...
Neurological examination
Obtaining the patient's history is the most important part of a neurological examination, pro...
Neurological eye symptoms
An impression of the site of a neuro-ophthalmic lesion and its possible cause may be obtained by ...
Neuropsychological disorders
Damage or injury to the brain may cause temporary or permanent changes in the patient's cogni...
Obstructive sleep apnoea in the adult
Sleep-related breathing disorders reduce the quality of sleep and cause daytime fatigue.Untreated...
Parkinson's disease
The motor symptoms of the disease are caused by destruction of the neurones of the nigrostriatal ...
Peripheral facial paralysis
Peripheral facial paralysis is often idiopathic (known as Bell’s palsy) but it may also be ...
Peripheral neuropathies: examination of the patient
Determine the level of the disorder: is there a damage to the peripheral nerve system (e.g. disor...
Pituitary tumours
The majority of pituitary tumours are benign adenomas.The tumours may be hormonally active and be...
Poliomyelitis and post-polio syndrome
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly contagious disease, but in the majority of cases it causes no s...
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Among the vast amount of patients who suffer from pain those should be identified in whom the sym...
Polyneuropathies
Symmetrical disease of (motor and sensory) peripheral nerves and/or the autonomic nerve system Th...
Radiculopathies
Pain radiating from the spine to the territory innervated by the affected root is the most typica...
Rehabilitation of the stroke patient
The best results are obtained by starting rehabilitation early . Extensive long-term therapy is a...
Restless legs and akathisia
Restless legs syndrome is a condition in which the patient experiences nocturnal, unpleasant sens...
Sequelae of traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury (also called a ”head injury”) must include trauma to the head ...
Shunt complications in children
The signs of shunt malfunction are similar to the signs of hydrocephalus: the signs of s...
Skull and brain injury
Recognize possible acute injury to the brain. Evaluate the severity of the brain injury according...
Speech and language development
Children deviating from the age-related development path should be referred to a speech therapist...
Spinal cord injuries
Consider the possibility of spinal cord injury in all trauma patients, and ensure that transport ...
Suspicion of rabies
Rabies is a fatal disease, but it is always preventable through a series of vaccinations and immu...
Symptoms of arrhythmia and examination of an arrhythmia patient
Patient's medical history, clinical examination and resting ECG are the cornerstones for diag...
Syncope: causes and investigations
Identify benign causes of disturbed consciousness in order to avoid unnecessary extensive investi...
Systemic diseases in pregnancy
Poorly treated or untreated systemic disease impairs fertility; adequate management effectively r...
Temporal (giant cell) arteritis
Remember the possibility of temporal arteritis as a cause of headache, visual disturbances and di...
Tinnitus
Establish the aetiology. In some cases, the cause may be eliminated (noise, otosclerosis, acousti...
Transient global amnesia (TGA)
Transient global amnesia (TGA) refers to a benign episode of memory loss of unknown aetiology, wh...
Treating psychological problems in persons with intellectual disability (ID) in primary health care
The essential goals are to recognize conditions requiring a more specific assessment of a possibl...
Treatment of a prolonged epileptic seizure and status epilepticus
A prolonged seizure with unconsciousness is a life-threatening emergency situation requiring imme...
Treatment of epilepsy in adults
Epilepsy requires regular, long-term pharmacotherapy, and the indications should be considered ca...
Treatment of spasticity
Spasticity does not necessarily require treatment. It may function as support for a limb with wea...
Tremor
The most important diseases with tremor are essential tremor and Parkinson's disease . Variou...
Trigeminal neuralgia and other facial pain
Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by paroxysms of intense pain resembling electrical shocks o...
Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia
The average disease duration is about 5 years; the prognosis of the disease is worse than in Alzh...
Vasculitides
Vasculitis has to be taken into account when the patient presents with systemic symptoms
Vertigo
Benign postural vertigo, cervical vertigo, orthostatic hypotension and vestibular neuronitis shou...
Winged scapula (scapula alata)
Injury to the accessory nerve in association with a surgical intervention should be readily recog...
