A Clinician's View of Neuromuscular Diseases

Abstract

Nine years have elapsed since the publication of the first edition of this book, and many of the changes that have occurred in the field of neuromuscular diseases are included in this new edition. However, the format remains the same, and the new, somewhat expanded version is even better than the original. This textbook describes the major neuromuscular diseases, exclusive of peripheral neuropathies, that produce muscle weakness in children and adults. The disorders covered include motor neuron diseases, disorders of neuromuscular transmission, muscular dystrophies and myotonias, inflammatory and metabolic myopathies, and congenital muscle diseases. An introductory chapter describes the general approach to diagnosis based on symptoms and signs and provides many helpful clues that Dr Brooke has garnered through years of experience. A new section dealing with exercise, muscle energetics, and various stress-testing techniques introduces and provides the foundation for the chapter on metabolic myopathies. The book has ample illustrations,