11 Peripheral neuropathy Introduction Peripheral neuropathy (PN) represents nerve damage outside the central nervous system. It includes lower motor neurone (LMN) damage as well as sensory neuropathies. Radiculopathy (nerve root…

3 The neurological examination Cranial nerves CN I (olfactory nerve) Smell, if tested, requires soft musks, floral and ketone smells rather than astringents, such as ammonia or cloves. The reason…

4 The neurological examination Peripheral nervous system Examination of the peripheral nervous system assumes a stylised approach when adopting the traditional method. This means following a set pattern of: observation…

16 Muscles Introduction Muscle weakness is often automatically thought to reflect muscle disease, but that need not be the case. Weak or wasted muscles may result from a lesion anywhere…

13 Pain Pain is a totally subjective phenomenon. It is the product of a noxious stimulus, which evokes a response in the patient. That response is predicated by the patient’s…

10 Multiple sclerosis Introduction Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most dreaded diagnoses in neurology. Patients visualise a fit and healthy person, such as the Olympic athlete Betty Cuthbert,…

5 Non-organic neurological diseases Introduction Many believe that the diagnosis of functional, and for that read non-organic or psychological, disease should be a diagnosis of last resort. Those advocating this…