Neurology has always been a discipline in which careful physical examination is paramount. The rich vocabulary of neurology replete with eponyms attests to this historically. The decline in the importance of the examination has long been predicted with the advent of more detailed neuroimaging. However, neuroimaging has often provided a surfeit of information from which salient features have to be identified, dependent upon the neurological examination. A dictionary of neurological signs has a secure future.
A dictionary should be informative but unless it is unwieldy, it cannot be comprehensive, nor is that claimed here. Andrew Larner has decided sensibly to include key features of the history as well as the examination. There is no doubt that some features of the history can strike one with the force of a physical sign. There are entries for ‘palinopsia’ and ‘environmental tilt’ both of which can only be elicited from the history and yet which have considerable significance. There is also an entry for the ‘head turning sign’ observed during the history taking itself as well as the majority of entries relating to details of the physical examination.
This book is directed to students and will be valuable to medical students, trainee neurologists, and professions allied to medicine. Neurologists often speak in shorthand and so entries such as ‘absence’ and ‘freezing’ are sensible and helpful. For the more mature student, there are the less usual as well as common eponyms to entice one to read further than the entry which took you first to the dictionary.
Each entry includes:
- A definition of the sign.
- A brief account of the clinical technique required to elicit the sign.
- A description of the other signs which may accompany the index sign.
- An explanation of pathyophysiological and/or pharmacological background.
- Differential diagnosis.
- Brief treatment details Where known, these entries also include the neuroanatomical basis of the sign.
Contents
- Foreword to the First Edition by Martin N. Rossor ix
- Preface to Third Edition xi
- Acknowledgements xiii
- A: Abadie’s Sign to Autotopagnosia 1
- B: Babinski’s Sign to Butt-First Manoeuvre 55
- C: Cacogeusia to Czarnecki’s Sign 71
- D: Dalrymple’s Sign to Dystonia 101
- E: Ear Click to Eyelid Apraxia 125
- F: Face–hand Test to Funnel Vision 135
- G: Gag Reflex to Gynaecomastia 155
- H: Habit Spasm to Hypotropia 165
- I: Ice Pack Test to Iridoplegia 193
- J: Jacksonian March to Junctional Scotoma, Junctional Scotoma of Traquair 199
- K: Kayser–Fleischer Rings to Kyphoscoliosis 203
- L: Lagophthalmos to Luria Test 207
- M: Macrographia to Myotonia 215
- N: Narcolepsy, Narcoleptic Syndrome to Nystagmus 237
- O: Obscurations to Overflow 247
- P: Pagophagia to Pyramidal Signs, Pyramidal Weakness 259
- Q: Quadrantanopia to Quadrupedalism 303
- R: Rabbit Syndrome to Ross’s Syndrome 305
- S: Saccades to Synkinesia, Synkinesis 319
- T: ‘Table Top’ Sign to Two-Point Discrimination 343
- U: Uhthoff’s Phenomenon to Utilization Behaviour 355
- V: Valsalva Manoeuvre to Vulpian’s Sign 359
- W: Waddling Gait to Wry Neck 369
- X: Xanthopsia to Xerophthalmia, Xerostomia 377
- Y: Yawning to Yo-Yo-Ing 379
- Z: Zeitraffer Phenomenon to Zoom Effect 381
About the Author
- Andrew J. Larner MA MD MRCP (UK) DHMSA, Walton Centre for Neurology & Neurosurgery, Lower Lane, L9 7LJ Liverpool, UK.
Product Details
- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Springer; 3rd edition (2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1441970940
- ISBN-13: 978-1441970947
- Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.8 inches
List Price: $49.95