Neuroinflammation
KEY CONCEPTS Print Section Listen Immune mechanisms, both intrinsic to the brain and spinal cord and derived from the periphery, are important in fighting central nervous system infections and mediating…
Excitatory and Inhibitory Amino Acids
KEY CONCEPTS Print Section Listen The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain is glutamate; the major inhibitory neurotransmitter is γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Glutamate receptors comprise two large families, ligand-gated ion…
Atypical Neurotransmitters
KEY CONCEPTS Print Section Listen The common designation of a group of neurotransmitters as purines is a misnomer; what are called purinergic signaling molecules are the nucleoside and nucleotide derivatives…
Synaptic Transmission
KEY CONCEPTS Print Section Listen Synaptic transmission is a signal transduction process that begins with the action potential–dependent release of a neurotransmitter from a presynaptic terminal. The neurotransmitter then binds…
Basic Principles of Neuropharmacology
KEY CONCEPTS Print Section Listen An understanding of drug action in the brain must integrate knowledge of the molecular and cellular actions of a drug with their effects on brain…
Common Psychiatric Conditions
ABSTRACT Print Section Listen Psychiatric disorders are common in neurologic disorders, and often occur as a consequence of neurologic disorders. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve outcomes, so neurologists should…
Neuropeptides
KEY CONCEPTS Print Section Listen Neuropeptides are small proteins or polypeptides that serve as neurotransmitters in the nervous system generally acting via G protein–coupled receptors. Other signaling peptides such as…
Medication and Dosing
ABSTRACT Print Section Listen This chapter is a tabular list of commonly used medications on the neurology wards for quick reference in text and table formats. A working pharmacotherapy knowledge…
Internal Medicine and Neurology
ABSTRACT Print Section Listen In the acute setting, the fields of Neurology and Internal Medicine are often intertwined, necessitating a working understanding of general principles of Internal Medicine for the…
Demyelinating Diseases
INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease characterized by inflammatory clinical relapses and gradual neurodegeneration. The etiology of MS is multifactorial…
