With the contribution from more than one hundred CNS neurotrauma experts, this book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account on the latest developments in the area of neurotrauma including biomarker studies, experimental models, diagnostic methods, and neurotherapeutic intervention strategies in brain injury research. It discusses neurotrauma mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and neurocognitive and neurobehavioral deficits. Also included are medical interventions and recent neurotherapeutics used in the area of brain injury that have been translated to the area of rehabilitation research. In addition, a section is devoted to models of milder CNS injury, including sports injuries.

Spasticity: Diagnosis and Management is the first book solely dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of spasticity. This pioneering work defines spasticity in the broad context of Upper Motor Neuron Syndrome and focuses not on a single component, but on the entire constellation of conditions that make up the UMNS and often lead to ......

This is a thorough, practical reference and guide for all health professionals involved in the management of spasticity.

Some people suffer from chronic, debilitating disorders for which no conventional treatment brings relief. Can marijuana ease their symptoms? Would it be breaking the law to turn to marijuana as a medication? There are few sources of objective, scientifically sound advice for people in this situation. Most books about marijuana and medicine attempt to promote the views of advocates or opponents. To fill the gap between these extremes, authors Alison Mack and Janet Joy have extracted critical findings from a recent Institute of Medicine study on this important issue, interpreting them for a general audience. Marijuana As Medicine? provides patientsâ€"as well as the people who care for themâ€"with a foundation for making decisions about their own health care. This empowering volume examines several key points, including: Whether marijuana can relieve a variety of symptoms, including pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and appetite loss. The dangers of smoking marijuana, as well as the effects of its active chemical components on the immune system and on psychological health. The potential use of marijuana-based medications on symptoms of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and several other specific disorders, in comparison with existing treatments. Marijuana As Medicine? introduces readers to the active compounds in marijuana. These include the principal ingredient in Marinol, a legal medication. The authors also discuss the prospects for developing other drugs derived from marijuana's active ingredients. In addition to providing an up-to-date review of the science behind the medical marijuana debate, Mack and Joy also answer common questions about the legal status of marijuana, explaining the conflict between state and federal law regarding its medical use. Intended primarily as an aid to patients and caregivers, this book objectively presents critical information so that it can be used to make responsible health care decisions. Marijuana As Medicine? will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, health care providers, patient counselors, medical faculty and studentsâ€"in short, anyone who wants to learn more about this important issue.

Historical photograph of spinal anaesthesia In 1884 the American neurologist J. L. eases. His discovery, however, marks the Corning, by blocking the neural con onset of the era of regional anaesthesia. It took almost one hundred years until his duction to the hind extremities of a dog by injecting cocaine-solution into the lumbar original idea of "local medication of the vertebral interspace, was the first to per cord" was again reconsidered due to two form spinal (or epidural?) anaesthesia [1]. reasons: At that time, he was unaware of the local I. The discovery of different drug receptors anaesthetic properties of cocaine (dis in the spinal cord made it possible, by in covered in the same year by C. Koller, who trathecal injection (or epidural appli cation, if the drug penetrates the dura), applied cocaine to the eye of one of his pa tients [3]) and did not intend to introduce to alter nociceptive or motor transmis an anaesthetic procedure. Corning's pri sion within the spinal cord. mary aim was the application of drugs in 2. Implantable devices for long-term appli proximity of the central nervous system, i. e. cation of drugs to specific sites of the spinal cord, in order to treat or even heal body, including the spinal spaces, were developed during the 1970's.

David A. Gelber, MD, and Douglas R. Jeffery, MD, have assembled a much-needed collection of authoritative review articles discussing the pathophysiology of chronic neurologic spasticity and detailing its often complex medical and surgical management. Written by leading experts in neurology and rehabilitation, the book covers physical and occupational therapy, splinting and orthotics, electrical stimulation, orthopedic interventions, nerve blocks, the use of botulinum toxin, and novel treatments such as tizanidine, intrathecal medications, and neurosurgical techniques. The contributors also review coordinated approaches to the treatment of spasticity and specific neurological diseases such as spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury.

"This compilation focuses on spasticity, a condition which results in an abnormal increase in muscle tone caused by injury of nerve pathways within the brain responsible for muscle movement control. The authors assess the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, a promising new non- invasive method, in the reduction of muscle spasticity. Selective dorsal rhizotomy, a successful neurosurgical technique for spasticity treatment, is subsequently described. In the postoperative phase, rehabilitation plays an essential role, supplemented by possible corrective orthopedic interventions. In general, physical therapy methods and rehabilitation techniques constitute suitable non-pharmacological options for spasticity, and they are primary care treatments used in early treatment. The closing study analyzes the effectiveness of upper limb orthosis for the treatment of spasticity, range of motion and functionality issues of persons with cerebral palsy and acquired brain damage"--

This practical handbook for clinicians covers pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options in neurological rehabilitation.

A Doody's Core Title 2012 Spasticity: Diagnosis and Management is the first book solely dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of spasticity. This pioneering work defines spasticity in the broad context of Upper Motor Neuron Syndrome and focuses not on a single component, but on the entire constellation of conditions that make up the UMNS and often lead to disability. Spasticity: Diagnosis and Management clearly defines the process for the diagnosis of spasticity, the basic science behind its pathophysiology, the measurement tools used for evaluation, and reviews the available treatment options. Divided into five sections, this comprehensive clinical resource provides a roadmap for assessing the complicated picture of spasticity and choosing the appropriate interventions. Therapies including oral medications, intrathecal baclofen, botulinum toxin and phenol, and surgical options are thoroughly discussed, as are non-medical therapies and the role of the emerging technologies. The full spectrum of diseases involving spasticity in adults and children and the unique diagnostic and management challenges they present is addressed by experienced clinicians. This text is a one-stop source for physicians, therapists and other members of the spasticity management team tasked with the goal of improving patient care and outcomes. Special Features of Spasticity: Diagnosis and Management include In-depth coverage of diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes across multiple pathologies Tools and clinical measurements for patient assessment Treatment-focused chapters outlining current medical and other therapeutic options Illustrated review of limb anatomy Hands-on guidance to chemodenervation techniques with botulinum toxin and phenol, and ITB management Disease-based chapters devoted to the full range of clinical conditions involving spasticity in adults.and children Multidisciplinary perspective supporting a team approach to care

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease of the nervous system, affecting about 1 million people worldwide. Even though it has been known for over a hundred years, no cause or cure has yet been discovered-but now there is hope. New therapies have been shown to slow the disease progress in some patients, and the pace of discoveries about the cellular machinery of the brain and spinal cord has accelerated. This book presents a comprehensive overview of multiple sclerosis today, as researchers seek to understand its processes, develop therapies that will slow or halt the disease and perhaps repair damage, offer relief for specific symptoms, and improve the abilities of MS patients to function in their daily lives. The panel reviews existing knowledge and identifies key research questions, focusing on: Research strategies that have the greatest potential to understand the biological mechanisms of recovery and to translate findings into specific strategies for therapy. How people adapt to MS and the research needed to improve the lives of people with MS. Management of disease symptoms (cognitive impairment, depression, spasticity, vision problems, and others). The committee also discusses ways to build and financially support the MS research enterprise, including a look at challenges inherent in designing clinical trials. This book will be important to MS researchers, research funders, health care advocates for MS research and treatment, and interested patients and their families.