McAlpine's multiple sclerosis.

Previous ed.: London: Churchill Livingstone, 1998.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 811-946) and index.

SECTION ONE: THE STORY OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS -- 1. The story of multiple sclerosis -- The evolving concept of multiple sclerosis -- Naming and classifying the disease: 1868-1983 -- Clinical descriptions of multiple sclerosis: 1838-1981 -- Personal accounts of multiple sclerosis: 1824-1991 -- The social history of multiple sclerosis: 1945-1998 -- The pathogenesis and clinical anatomy of multiple sclerosis: 1849-1977 -- The laboratory science of multiple sclerosis: 1912-1981 -- Discovery of glia and remyelination: 1858-1988 -- The aetiology of multiple sclerosis: 1883-1976 -- Attitudes to the treatment of multiple sclerosis: 1841-1983 -- SECTION TWO: THE CAUSE AND COURSE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS -- 2. The distribution of multiple sclerosis -- The rationale for epidemiological studies in multiple sclerosis -- Definitions and statistics in epidemiology -- Strategies for epidemiological studies in multiple sclerosis -- The geography of multiple sclerosis -- Epidemics and clusters of multiple sclerosis -- The environmental factor in multiple sclerosis -- 3. The genetics of multiple sclerosis: -- Genetic analysis of multiple sclerosis -- Methods of genetic analysis -- Racial susceptibility -- Sex differences in susceptibility -- Familial multiple sclerosis -- Candidate genes in multiple sclerosis -- Systematic genome screening -- Lessons from genetic studies of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis -- Conclusions -- 4. The natural history of multiple sclerosis -- Introduction -- Definitions -- Onset -- Course -- Inter-individual variability -- Factors affecting the prognosis -- General considerations -- Environmental influences -- Chapter 5: The aetiology of multiple sclerosis: an epitome -- SECTION THREE: THE CLINICAL FEATURES AND DIAGNOSIS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS -- 6. The symptoms and signs of multiple sclerosis. -- Multiple sclerosis as a neurological illness -- Initial symptoms -- Symptoms and signs in the course of the disease -- Individual symptoms and sign -- Associated diseases -- Conclusion -- 7. The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis -- Diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis -- Selection of investigations -- Magnetic resonance imaging -- Evoked potentials -- Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid -- A strategy for the investigation of demyelinating disease -- 8. The differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis -- The spectrum of disorders mimicking multiple sclerosis -- Diseases that may cause multiple lesions of the CNS and also often follow a relapsing remitting course -- Systematized central nervous system diseases -- Isolated or monosymptomatic CNS syndromes -- Non organic symptoms -- How accurate is the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis? -- 9. Multiple sclerosis in the individual and in groups: a conspectus -- The typical case -- Isolated syndromes and their outcome: judicious use of investigations and critique of the new diagnostic criteria -- Co-morbidity and associated diseases -- Situations in which alternative diagnoses should be considered -- When to ignore ₃inconvenient₄ laboratory results or clinical findings: taking the best position -- ₃Pathognomonic₄ and ₃un-heard of₄ features of multiple sclerosis -- SECTION FOUR: THE PATHOGENESIS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS -- 10. The neurobiology of multiple sclerosis. -- Organisation in the central nervous system -- Development of the central nervous system -- Macroglial lineages in the rodent and human nervous system -- Axon-glial interactions and myelination -- Demyelination -- Axon degeneration and restoration of function -- Remyelination -- 11. The immunology of inflammatory demyelinating disease -- Multiple sclerosis as an autoimmune disease -- Immune responses: innate and adaptive -- T lymphocytes -- B lymphocytes -- Autoimmunity and self tolerance in the central nervous system -- Regulation of central nervous system autoimmune responses -- Immune reactivity in the central nervous system -- Pathogenesis of demyelination and tissue damage -- Peripheral blood biomarkers for multiple sclerosis and disease activity -- Markers of multiple sclerosis and disease activity in cerebrospinal fluid -- Conclusion -- 12. The pathology of multiple sclerosis -- Introduction -- Pathological classification of demyelinating diseases -- The demyelinated plaque -- Immunopathology of inflammation -- Demyelination and oligodendroglial damge -- Remyelination -- Axonal pathology -- Grey matter pathology / cortical plaques -- Astroglia reaction -- Abnormalities in the ₃normal₄ white matter -- Distribution of lesions in the nervous system -- Is there evidence for an infectious agent in the lesions of multiple sclerosis? -- Dynamic evolution of multiple sclerosis pathology -- Differences between acute relapsing and progressive multiple sclerosis -- Molecular approaches to the study of the MS lesion: Global profiling of transcriptome and proteome. -- Association of multiple sclerosis with other diseases -- Conclusions -- 13. The pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis -- Introduction -- Methods for exploring the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis -- Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: loss of function due to conduction block -- Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: recovery of function and remission -- Physiological explanations for other clinical symptoms in multiple sclerosis -- Permanent loss of function in the context of disease progression -- Summary -- SECTION FIVE: THE TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS -- 15. Care of the person with multiple sclerosis -- General approach to the care of people with multiple sclerosis -- The early stages of disease: minimal disability -- The middle stages of disease: moderate disability -- The later stages of disease: severe disability -- Guidelines for the management and investigation of multiple sclerosis -- Conclusion -- 16. Treatment of the acute relapse -- The features of active multiple sclerosis -- The treatment of relapse in multiple sclerosis -- Other approaches to the treatment of acute relapse -- Treatment of acute optic neuritis -- Management of other central nervous system demyelinating disorders -- Adverse effects of corticosteroids -- Mode of action of corticosteroids -- Practice Guidelines -- 17. The treatment of symptoms in multiple sclerosis and the role of rehabilitation -- The general principles of symptomatic treatment in multiple sclerosis -- Disturbances of autonomic function -- Mobility and gait disturbance -- Fatigue -- Disturbances of brain stem function -- Perturbations of nerve conduction -- Cognition -- Visual symptoms -- Rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis -- Summary -- 18. Disease modifying treatments in multiple sclerosis -- The aims of disease modifying treatment -- The principles of evidence based prescribing in multiple sclerosis -- The role of magnetic resonance imaging in clinical trials -- Drugs that stimulate the immune response -- Drugs that non-specifically suppress the immune response -- The beta interferons -- Molecules that inhibit T cell-peptide binding -- Specific treatments that target T cells -- Agents which inhibit macrophages and their mediators -- Recent miscellaneous treatments -- Postscript -- 19: The person with multiple sclerosis: present and future -- Empirical versus hypothesis driven therapeutics -- New opportunities for immunological intervention -- Axon protection; acute and chronic -- Treatment in special situations -- Remyelination: -- Index.

The book describes in detail the genetics, neurobiology, pathophysiology and experimental modelling of multiple sclerosis. Though written to be read as a whole, each chapter can also be read separately. The text is written in a highly readable style, and is extensively illustrated in colour.

Description based on print version record.