INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen The human nervous system is the organ of consciousness, cognition, ethics, and behavior; as such, it is the most intricate structure known to exist. More than…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Chronic inflammation of the meninges (pia, arachnoid, and dura) can produce profound neurologic disability and may be fatal if not successfully treated. Chronic meningitis is diagnosed…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Demyelinating disorders are immune-mediated conditions characterized by preferential destruction of central nervous system (CNS) myelin. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is spared, and most patients have…

APPROACH TO PATIENT Print Section Listen APPROACH TO THE PATIENT: Ataxic Disorders Symptoms and signs of ataxia consist of gait impairment, unclear (“scanning”) speech, visual blurring due to nystagmus, hand…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Almost 10 million head injuries occur annually in the United States, about 20% of which are serious enough to cause brain damage. Among men <35 years,…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Diseases of the spinal cord are frequently devastating. They produce quadriplegia, paraplegia, and sensory deficits far beyond the damage they would inflict elsewhere in the nervous…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Examination of the living human retina provides a unique opportunity for the direct study of nervous, vascular, and connective tissues. Many systemic disorders have retinal manifestations…

THE HUMAN VISUAL SYSTEM Print Section Listen The visual system provides a supremely efficient means for the rapid assimilation of information from the environment to aid in the guidance of…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Symptoms and signs of cranial nerve pathology are common in internal medicine. They often develop in the context of a widespread neurologic disturbance, and in such…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Prions are proteins that adopt an alternative conformation, which becomes self-propagating. Some prions cause degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Once relegated to causing a…