Inflammatory Diseases Of The Central Nervous System

This thoroughly updated edition covers all clinical aspects of neuroinflammation. The latest developments in pathogenesis and advances in treatment are provided, along with an understanding of the immune system's role and interactions between the activated immune cells, cerebral endothelial cells, and other main components of the immune cascade. Cutting-edge and authoritative, this volume offers practitioners a valuable resource for research and clinical practice.

Edited and authored by top names in the field, this book provides a succinct reference on inflammatory central nervous system disease. It focuses on current areas of investigation in the fields of neuroimmunology, virology, pharmacology, and disease. Sections focus on specific categories of diseases, examining the pharmacological, virological, and immunological effects of and on the disease. This book’s unique organization provides a concise overview of inflammatory CNS disease.

Part of the Drugs in series, this book provides an easily accessible pocket-sized guide to the use of medications when treating patients with neurological ailments. Drugs in Neurology covers the breadth of medications used in modern neurology, including each drug's indications, contra-indications, side-effects and important interactions. The underlying pharmacology also feature (where known). Practical aspects related to prescribing and therapeutic drug monitoring are covered and based on the most up-to-date evidence-based guidance. Each drug monograph contains a small section drawing on the wisdom of the senior contributors of each chapter with regards to using the medication.

Interactions between the immune and nervous systems are involved in many disease processes. Modulation of inflammation can provide an important opportunity to enhance regeneration within the central nervous system. This authoritative book defines the key cellular players in mounting an inflammatory response and highlights critical factors in the target organ that influence the nature of that response and its capacity either to damage or protect the brain. Several key clinical areas are highlighted - particularly autoimmune diseases of the nervous system including multiple sclerosis, as well as microbiological and traumatic challenges; the book therefore provides both a summary of the basic science background as well as practical, clinical-friendly guidelines to management. The book will be of interest to a wide range of physicians, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurorehabilitationists, infectious disease physicians, and clinical neuroscientists, as well as neuroscientists and immunologists.

This open access book offers an essential overview of brain, head and neck, and spine imaging. Over the last few years, there have been considerable advances in this area, driven by both clinical and technological developments. Written by leading international experts and teachers, the chapters are disease-oriented and cover all relevant imaging modalities, with a focus on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. The book also includes a synopsis of pediatric imaging. IDKD books are rewritten (not merely updated) every four years, which means they offer a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in imaging. The book is clearly structured and features learning objectives, abstracts, subheadings, tables and take-home points, supported by design elements to help readers navigate the text. It will particularly appeal to general radiologists, radiology residents, and interventional radiologists who want to update their diagnostic expertise, as well as clinicians from other specialties who are interested in imaging for their patient care.

This PIR volume presents a comprehensive collection of reviews that focus on the role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during steady-state and inflamed conditions. Within the central nervous system (CNS) the constantly changing bloodstream is strictly separated from the CNS parenchyma by the BBB. However, viruses, bacteria, parasites and auto-aggressive immune cells can penetrate the barrier and significantly contribute to CNS inflammation. The BBB can actively contribute to neuroinflammation by presentation of chemokines, expression of cell adhesion molecules and alterations of barrier properties. As such, understanding the role of the BBB under healthy and pathological conditions is essential to the development of new drugs to efficiently combat inflammatory diseases of the CNS.

A variety of diseases which are driven by immunological and inflammatory disturbances can affect the central nervous system; some are primary neurological conditions, e.g. multiple sclerosis, whilst other CNS diseases reflect an inflammatory disorder, e.g. vasculitis. The clinical features, immunological background and treatment of these primary and secondary disorders of the CNS are the subject of this book.