Handbook of clinical neurology
-
Historical Article
Chapter 48: history of neurology in Australia and New Zealand.
In comparison with most Western countries, neurology as a recognized medical specialty has a relatively brief history in Australia: the national body for neurologists, the Australian (since 2006: and New Zealand) Association of Neurologists, was founded only in 1950. The development of neurology in both countries was heavily influenced by British neurology, and until recently a period in the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London was regarded as essential to specialist training in neurology. ⋯ The first Australian physician to unambiguously commit himself to neurology was Alfred Walter Campbell (1868-1938), a remarkable personality who established an imposing reputation as neurocytologist and neuropathologist. The chapter provides a concise overview of the development of neurology as a clinical and academic specialty in Australia and New Zealand.
-
Historical Article
Chapter 43: the development of neurology in the Low Countries.
-
Review Historical Article
Chapter 39: an historical overview of British neurology.
In the UK, neurology stemmed from general (internal) medicine rather than psychiatry. In 1886 the Neurological Society of London was founded, with Hughlings Jackson as its first President. After World War I, Kinnier Wilson was made Physician in Charge of the first independent department of neurology, which was at Westminster Hospital in London. ⋯ Before Willis the brain was a mystery, but his work laid the foundations for neurological advances. After the 17th century of William Harvey and Thomas Sydenham and the 18th century of William Heberden and Robert Whytt there followed the 19th century of James Parkinson (1755-1824), John Cooke (1756-1838), Sir Charles Bell (1774-1842), Marshall Hall (1790-1856) and Bentley Todd (1809-1860). Besides its "Father," Hughlings Jackson, the giants who established the unique superiority of British neurology were Sir William Gowers, Sir David Ferrier, Kinnier Wilson, Sir Gordon Holmes and Sir Charles Sherrington.
-
Review Historical Article
Chapter 30: historical aspects of the major neurological vitamin deficiency disorders: the water-soluble B vitamins.
This historical review addresses major neurological disorders associated with deficiencies of water-soluble B vitamins: beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, pellagra, neural tube defects, and subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. Beriberi: Beriberi was known for millennia in Asia, but was not described by a European until the 17th century when Brontius in the Dutch East Indies reported the progressive sensorimotor polyneuropathy. The prevalence of beriberi increased greatly in Asia with a change in the milling process for rice in the late 19th century. ⋯ Shortly thereafter the therapeutic efficacy of vitamin B(12) on subacute combined degeneration was demonstrated by West and Reisner and others. By 1955, Hodgkin determined the molecular structure of cyanocobalamin using computer-assisted x-ray crystallography, allowing complete chemical synthesis of vitamin B(12) in 1960 by an international consortium. Beginning in the late 1950s, the absorption and biochemistry of vitamin B(12) were elaborated, and several lines of evidence converged to support an autoimmune basis for pernicious anemia.
-
Vestibular migraine is a chameleon among the episodic vertigo syndromes because considerable variation characterizes its clinical manifestation. The attacks may last from seconds to days. About one-third of patients presents with monosymptomatic attacks of vertigo or dizziness without headache or other migrainous symptoms. ⋯ We prefer the term "vestibular migraine" to "migrainous vertigo," because the latter may also refer to various vestibular and non-vestibular symptoms. Antimigrainous medication to treat the single attack and to prevent recurring attacks appears to be effective, but the published evidence is weak. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is required to evaluate medical treatment of this condition.