Main description:

A practice-oriented reference for the laboratory diagnosis of neurologic diseases

Up-to-date, comprehensive, and beautifully illustrated, Laboratory Diagnosis in Neurology presents all the measuring parameters and methods relevant to the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and tissues affected by neurologic disease and syndromes. Following an introduction to basic concepts, the book guides clinicians through the methods of CSF analysis, neurochemical examinations, clinical applications of neuroimmunology, microbiology and virology, neurogenetic tests, and evaluation of biopsies. Readers will learn about the equipment and various procedures, and how to effectively differentiate similar methods. In the final section of the book, the authors provide a systematic introduction to the pathophysiology and laboratory findings for specific clinical disorders, indications for particular test methods, and criteria for diagnostic interpretation.

Key features:

Clear presentation of pearls, pitfalls, and practical tips in blue boxes for at-a-glance review
Contributions by neurologists, psychiatrists with experience in laboratory analysis, clinical chemists, and neurochemists
More than 140 high-quality illustrations, mostly in full color, demonstrating common findings
Appendix with basic rules for interpreting disease-specific patterns, recommendations for quality control, and a list of the most important reference values

An indispensable tool for neurologists, laboratory physicians, and pathologists, this book is also a valuable reference for neurosurgeons, internists, and psychiatrists.

Contents:

Basics

1 The Cerebrospinal Fluid: Spaces, Production, and Flow

2 Blood-Brain Barrier and Blood-CSF Barrier Function

3 Dynamics of Serum and Brain Proteins in CSF and Blood

Analysis

4 Principles of Analytical Methods

5 Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis

6 Serum Analysis

7 Autoantibodies and Antineural Antibodies

8 Neurogenetics

9 Biopsy

Clinical Pictures

10 Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases

11 Dementia and Other Psychiatric Disorders

12 Cerebral Ischemia and Hemorrhage

13 Polyneuropathies

14 Pseudotumor Cerebri, Ventricular Drainage, and Neurosurgery

15 Epileptic Seizures

16 Brain Tumors

17 Metabolic Disorders

18 Parasitoses and Tropical Diseases

Appendix

19 CSF Reports

20 Quality Assessment in the CSF Laboratory

21 Reference Ranges of Analytes in CSF and Serum