INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen The cerebral cortex of the human brain contains approximately 20 billion neurons spread over an area of 2.5 m2. The primary sensory and motor areas constitute…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen The importance of back and neck pain in our society is underscored by the following: (1) the cost of back pain in the United States exceeds…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Disturbed sleep is among the most frequent health complaints that physicians encounter. More than one-half of adults in the United States experience at least intermittent sleep…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Dementia, a syndrome with many causes, affects >5 million people in the United States and results in a total annual health care cost between $157 and…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Normal somatic sensation reflects a continuous monitoring process, little of which reaches consciousness under ordinary conditions. By contrast, disordered sensation, particularly when experienced as painful, is…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Syncope is a transient, self-limited loss of consciousness due to acute global impairment of cerebral blood flow. The onset is rapid, duration brief, and recovery spontaneous…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Coma is among the most common and striking problems in general medicine. It accounts for a substantial portion of admissions to emergency wards and occurs on…

INTRODUCTION Print Section Listen Normal motor function involves integrated muscle activity that is modulated by the activity of the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, red nucleus, brainstem reticular formation, lateral…