Autoimmune Neurological Disease

Autoimmune Neurology presents the latest information on autoimmune neurologic disease, the immune response to the body where organs run wild, causing the immune system to attack itself. Autoimmunity is a main element in numerous nervous system diseases and can target any structure within the central or peripheral nervous system. Over the past 20 years, significant advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of autoimmune disorders, including the use of biomarkers has led to new diagnosis and treatment options. Neurologic conditions associated with autoimmune reactions include dementia, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy, sleep disorders, diabetes, and other common neurologic disorders and disease. This current tutorial-reference will be a must-have title for clinical neurologists, research neurologists, neuroscientists, and any medical professional working with autoimmune disease and disorders. Includes comprehensive coverage of autoimmune neurology Details the latest techniques for the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders, including dementia, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy, and sleep disorders Presents a focused reference for clinical practitioners and the clinical neurology and neurology research communities

This book provides a clinical focus on neuroinflammatory diseases as well as a review in pathophysiology and treatment approaches. Organized into six parts, the book begins with a basic review of the immune system and concepts for learning and treating neuroimmune conditions. The next four sections cover specific subfields of neuroimmunology and autoimmune neurology - the clinical and diagnostic features of multiple sclerosis, other autoimmune conditions of the central nervous system, autoimmune conditions of the peripheral nervous system, and systemic autoimmune conditions that affect the nervous system. To conclude, Section six discusses various clinical approaches to specific presentations in neuroimmunology, including pediatric demyelinating diseases. These sections provide practical clinical information to improve the reader’s knowledge in this complex field. The chapters are written by world renown authors with extensive knowledge to help provide up to date information. The full scope of autoimmune neurology is discussed, which is a unique feature of this book. Neuroimmunology serves as a resource for those in training including residents and fellows to provide clear clinical reasoning and background in a rapidly advancing field.

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date and critical overview of the immunological aspects of autoimmune neurological disease. These diseases include common conditions such as multiple sclerosis, the Guillain-Barre syndrome and myasthenia gravis. The introductory chapters on antigen recognition and self-nonself recognition, and neuroimmunology, are followed by chapters on specific diseases. These are presented in a standardised format with sections on clinical features, genetics, neuropathology, pathophysiology, immunology and therapy. Each chapter has a concluding section which summarises key points and suggests directions for future research. Animal models of autoimmune neurological disease are also covered in detail because of their importance in understanding the human diseases. The book is suitable for clinicians and neurologists managing patients with these diseases, and for immunologists, neuroscientists and neurologists investigating the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of these disorders.

A translational overview of neuroimmune diseases for neuroscientists and clinicians that clarifies the pathological mechanisms underlying neuroimmune diseases and builds a comprehensive bridge between the latest research findings and their clinical implications in daily practice. The material is presented in two steps. The first section comprises a review of the pathogenic actions of immune cells in brain diseases. Here the authors discuss the mechanisms through which immune cells disrupt the functions of nerve cells. The second section explores the ways in which the brain becomes dysfunctional due to impaired nerve cell function. Based on pathogenesis, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are discussed for each clinical category. The book will be invaluable for use in clinical practice of neuroimmune diseases

'My first serious blackout marked the line between sanity and insanity. Though I would have moments of lucidity over the coming days and weeks, I would never again be the same person ...' Susannah Cahalan was a happy, clever, healthy twenty-four-year old. Then one day she woke up in hospital, with no memory of what had happened or how she had got there. Within weeks, she would be transformed into someone unrecognizable, descending into a state of acute psychosis, undergoing rages and convulsions, hallucinating that her father had murdered his wife; that she could control time with her mind. Everything she had taken for granted about her life, and who she was, was wiped out. Brain on Fire is Susannah's story of her terrifying descent into madness and the desperate hunt for a diagnosis, as, after dozens of tests and scans, baffled doctors concluded she should be confined in a psychiatric ward. It is also the story of how one brilliant man, Syria-born Dr Najar, finally proved - using a simple pen and paper - that Susannah's psychotic behaviour was caused by a rare autoimmune disease attacking her brain. His diagnosis of this little-known condition, thought to have been the real cause of devil-possessions through history, saved her life, and possibly the lives of many others. Cahalan takes readers inside this newly-discovered disease through the progress of her own harrowing journey, piecing it together using memories, journals, hospital videos and records. Written with passionate honesty and intelligence, Brain on Fire is a searingly personal yet universal book, which asks what happens when your identity is suddenly destroyed, and how you get it back. 'With eagle-eye precision and brutal honesty, Susannah Cahalan turns her journalistic gaze on herself as she bravely looks back on one of the most harrowing and unimaginable experiences one could ever face: the loss of mind, body and self. Brain on Fire is a mesmerizing story' -Mira Bartók, New York Times bestselling author of The Memory Palace Susannah Cahalan is a reporter on the New York Post, and the recipient of the 2010 Silurian Award of Excellence in Journalism for Feature Writing. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, and is frequently picked up by the Daily Mail, Gawker, Gothamist, AOL and Yahoo among other news aggregrator sites.

The book covers the immunological and clinical aspects of immune-mediated diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, excluding multiple sclerosis. It includes paraneoplastic neurological disorders, and discusses the immune mechanisms in the growing number of recognised paraneoplastic conditions. It not only provides an overview of the field but also discusses the possible role of immunity in other neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Chapters are written by scientists and clinicians directly involved in each specific area, who have summarized the current understanding of neuroimmunology, with emphasis on the underlying abormalities of the immune responses, the different clinical expression of the diseases and the important use of immunotherapies in treatment. Figures and tables are included in each chapter.

Inflammatory disorders of the nervous system, although individually uncommon, collectively make up 10-20% of acute paediatric neurology presentations and many are potentially treatable. Research into them is lagging behind adult research, but better diagnosis and often simple treatments could lead to substantial clinical benefit and reduction in long-term disability. This book provides a detailed and comprehensive summary of the childhood diseases that are, or are likely to be, caused by the immune system. The authors not only describe these disorders and their treatments comprehensively, helping pediatricians and pediatric neurologists to improve their understanding and recognition of the conditions, but also highlight recent and exciting developments that will be of considerable importance in the future.

Systemic autoimmune diseases can affect both the central and peripheral nervous systems in a myriad of ways and through a heterogeneous number of mechanisms leading to many different clinical manifestations. As a result, neurological complications of these disorders can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Advances in the diagnosis, laboratory investigations, and management of these conditions has placed an increasing burden on the practicing clinician to correctly assess and treat these patients. This volume of the Handbook of the Systemic Autoimmune Diseases will help the clinician and researcher better understand the current concepts of nervous system involvement from systemic autoimmune disorders, recognize current approaches to diagnosis and treatment, current controversies, and areas that need significant research efforts. It is believed that providing this approach in a single volume will facilitate its use as a frequent resource for all those caring for or investigating these patients and their diseases. Each chapter follows a consistent outline to provide the reader with important and useful information in an easy-to-navigate manner and is also liberally referenced to provide more primary source material for further consideration. The standardized approach to each chapter will allow the reader to be able to compare and contrast more efficiently the neurological complications of the autoimmune diseases discussed.