Diagnostic Reference Index of Clinical Neurology

By Pasquale F. Finelli

Diagnostic Reference Index of Clinical Neurology aims to give the busy clinician a fast, easy-to-use guide to the core neurological literature published from 1980 to 1986. This book is divided into two sections, key words and references. The keywords section consists of neuroscience terms and each main entry is followed by reference citation numbers and corresponding references. This index, unlike the usual computerized systems for literature retrieval, is structured around clinical problems and uses the approach and terminology of a practicing neurologist. The contents were sources from the full text of articles that were published in critical core of fourteen major international English-language journals in medicine and neurology. This book will be of interest to neurology students and to practicing clinical neurologists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: Oct 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483182872

Book preview

1981.

How to Use the Index

The Index is divided into two sections, key words and references. The key words section consists of neuroscience terms arranged alphabetically. Following each main entry is an alphabetized list of associated key words with reference citation numbers. The second section consists of the corresponding references.

The purpose of the Index is to provide the user with a means of getting to specific information fast. This may be to locate a journal article once read, to cross-reference terms, or to assist with diagnostic and therapeutic considerations not accessible through traditional sources. The examples that follow illustrate how one may proceed if the disease entity is known and more specific information on the condition is desired or if only a sign, symptom, or key word is available in pursuing a diagnosis, treatment, or reference source.

Example 1. A patient is seen in your office with vague eye discomfort and evidence of a medial rectus palsy on neurological examination. One consideration that comes to mind is myasthenia gravis; however, in the interest of completeness you consult the Index for Medial rectus palsy (see page M-3). In scanning the associated key words you notice another disease that merits consideration, ocular myositis.

Medial rectus palsy

You also appreciate that CAT scan, abnormal, has references in common with myositis, ocular (i.e., 5322 and 5323). From consulting these citations in the reference section, it is evident that a CAT scan of the orbit may be helpful in the diagnosis of ocular myositis.

Example 2. You wish to locate an article you read regarding the nucleus basalis of Meynert in dementia but cannot remember the journal or exact year it appeared. In this case you simply open the Index to Nucleus basalis of Meynert (see page N-18) and the relevant citation numbers (i.e., 6646,7078, and 7248) can be quickly and easily found in the reference section.

Example 3. A patient is diagnosed as having Lyme disease and you want to know the clinical features and treatment considerations. Scanning the list of key words under Lyme disease (see pages L-9 and L-10) shows a wide variety of associated clinical features. Penicillin is also listed, as is treatment of neurologic disorder. A reference common to both (i.e., 6254) indicates an association and therapeutic consideration.

Aware of this citation, you can decide if the full text of the article is needed for further details. As noted, the journals surveyed are readily available in medical and hospital libraries.

Example 4. You are called to see a patient with neurological complications developing from a snake bite. Using the Index (see page S-15) you can quickly survey the possible complications:

Such a rapid search would not be possible with traditional textbooks, and the speed with which this information is needed may make a computer search unfeasible.

Example 5. On rounds, a patient with Parkinson’s disease is noted to have a wrist drop. The question of an association between compression neuropathy or radial nerve palsy with parkinsonism is raised. This is easily checked by looking up Parkinsonism (see pages P-5 and P-6) and scanning for compression neuropathy or radial nerve, palsy of:

The ability to get specific information quickly is important to good patient care. As demonstrated here, the Index can help in a number of ways.

Principal Journals Surveyed for the Index, with Corresponding Abbreviations

Other journals less regularly surveyed are also cited in the Index.

Key Words

Outline

Chapter 1: A

Chapter 2: B

Chapter 3: C

Chapter 4: D

Chapter 5: E

Chapter 6: F

Chapter 7: G

Chapter 8: H

Chapter 9: I

Chapter 10: J

Chapter 11: K

Chapter 12: L

Chapter 13: M

Chapter 14: N

Chapter 15: O

Chapter 16: P

Chapter 17: Q

Chapter 18: R

Chapter 19: S

Chapter 20: T

Chapter 21: U

Chapter 22: V

Chapter 23: W

Chapter 24: X

Chapter 25: Y

Chapter 26: Z

A