Essential Neurology

Neurological disorders are very common. They account for more than 10 percent of all diseases in West European countries and North America, and they result in 15 to 20 percent of all admissions to acute medical wards. Yet only a minority of patients are seen by a neurologist during their hospitalization. As most patients with neurological disorders are treated by nonspecialists, a good-working knowledge of the common neurological disorders is essential for medical students and all medical practitioners irrespective of their specialization. Most neurology textbooks are too detailed and also devote large sections to rare, obscure syndromes that have little relevance to practitioners outside the speciality of clinical neuroscience. The purpose of this book is to focus on the common neurological disorders that most clinicians are likely to see in their everyday clinical practice and to provide up-to-date and concise information. The book consists of fifteen chapters that cover what I believe is the essential knowledge required by a medical student and by practitioners not specializing in neurology. It is hoped that senior medical students, doctors in training, and clinicians not specializing in neurology will find this book a useful resource.