Outcomes in Neurological and Neurosurgical Disorders

Natural history and treatment outcome of disease are of critical importance to patients, clinicians and health care providers across the full range of medical disciplines. In many specialties, such as neurology and neurosurgery, this sort of information can be hard to obtain in the absence of extensive outcome studies and agreed measures of outcome in different conditions. This volume seeks to help inform about effective care and rehabilitation by providing a succinct review of whatever data is available for the majority of conditions encountered in clinical practice. Particular attention has been given to the evaluation of the severity and outcome of each disorder and to advise on comparing risks and benefits of treatment. This resource will prove invaluable to all involved in informing patients of treatment options and making important cost-efficient decisions on care. It should also be welcomed in the planning of clinical trials for potential new therapies and as a reference in medicolegal spheres.

Contributors; Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. The measurement of outcomes of health care Anthony Hopkins; 2. Definition and measurement of outcome Ann Bowling and Charles Normand; 3. Cost-benefit analysis Charles Normand and Ann Bowling; 4. Imaging of the nervous system B. Schuknecht and A. Valavanis; Part II. Vascular Disorders: 5. Stroke Julien Bogousslavsky, Marc Hommel and Claudio Bassetti; 6. Intracranial aneurysms and subarachnoid haemorrhage Akio Morita, Michael R. Puumala and Fredric B. Meyer; 7. Cerebral arteriovenous malformations Mark G. Hamilton and Robert F. Spetzler; 8. Spinal vascular malformations Edward H. Oldfield; Part III. Trauma to the Central Nervous System: 9. Head injury J. Hsiang and L. F. Marshall; 10. Outcomes in spinal cord injuries H. L. Frankel; Part IV. Tumours: 11. Extrinsic lesions of the CNS H. I. Sabin; 12. Outcome measurements for intrinsic brain and pituitary tumours Edward R. Laws; 13. Spinal tumours Jacques Brotchi; Part V. Degenerative Disease: 14. Multiple sclerosis Alan J. Thompson; 15. Mechanical disorders of the spine Howard L. Weiner and Paul R. Cooper; 16. Degenerative diseases in the CNS Donald B. Calne and W. Koller; 17. Neuromuscular disease W. J. K. Cumming; 18. Outcome of polyneuropathies and mononeuropathies L. H. van den Berg, J. H. J. Wokke and F. G. I. Jennekens; Part VI. Infections of the Central Nervous System: 19. Bacterial meningitis G. Urwin and R. A. Feldman; 20. Brain abscess R. A. Feldman and G. Urwin; 21. Viral infections of the nervous system Mohammed K. Sharief and Michael Swash; Part VII. Epilepsy, Coma and Other Syndromes: 22. Epilepsy: medical and surgical outcome Teresa A. Tran, Susan S. Spencer and Dennis D. Spencer; 23. Post-traumatic syndrome, 'myalgic encephalomyelitis' J. M. S. Space; 24. Outcome in coma N. E. F. Cartlidge; 25. Syringomyelia Bernard Williams; Part VIII. Surgery for Movement Disorders and Pain: 26. Neurosurgical treatment of pain syndromes R. R. Tasker; 27. Neurosurgical treatment for pain: trigeminal neuralgia Kim J. Burchiel and Kevin R. Moore; 28. Neurosurgical treatment for pain: spinal cord stimulation Andrew Parrent; 29. Stereotactic surgery for movement disorder R. R. Tasker; Part IX. Rehabilitation: 30. Neuropsychology: recovery after brain lesions Ian H. Robertson; 31. Rehabilitation outcomes in neurological and neurosurgical disease Derick T. Wade; Index.

Weighing restricted budgets against quality of care and treatment success against risks can often prove daunting, particularly when adequate information relating to previous treatment outcomes is hard to find. To facilitate informed decisions, this volume provides both a succinct review and expert advice on the available outcome data relating to most conditions met in neurological practice.