This symposium covered a range of common neurological conditions of interest both to the general physician and neurologist. Neurological problems presenting to acute physicians were highlighted: stroke risk and prevention following transient ischaemic attacks; an update on stroke thrombolysis; when to refer stroke patients to regional neuroscience centres; and epilepsy and its neurological and cardiac mimics. At the other end of the spectrum, the management of chronic neurological disease, including Parkinson’s disease, and end-of-life neurology care were reviewed. Updates on developing patient-centred services for people with neurological impairments were presented. Finally there was a practical guide to driving regulations in a variety of clinical scenarios.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
RothwellPMWarlowCP.Timing of TIAs preceding stroke: time window for prevention is very short. Neurology 2005; 64: 817–20.
2.
GilesMFRothwellPM.Risk of stroke early after transient ischaemic attack: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Neurol2007; 6:1063–72.
3.
RothwellPGilesMFlossmannEA simple score (ABCD) to identify individuals at high early risk of stroke after transient ischaemic attack. Lancet2005; 366:29–36.
4.
JohnstonSCRothwellPMNguyen-HuynhMNValidation and refinement of scores to predict very early stroke risk after transient ischaemic attack. Lancet2007; 369:283–92.
5.
RothwellP.Lessons from MATCH for future randomised trials in secondary prevention of stroke. Lancet2004; 364:305–7.
6.
HackamDGSpenceJD.Combining multiple approaches for the secondary prevention of vascular events after stroke: a quantitative modelling study. Stroke2007; 38:1881–5.
7.
RothwellPMGilesMFChandrathevaAEffect of urgent treatment of transient ischaemic attack and minor stroke on early recurrent stroke (EXPRESS study): a prospective populationbased sequential comparison. Lancet2007; 370:1432–42.
HackeWKasteMBluhmkiE Thrombolysis with alteplase 3 to 4.5 hours after acute ischemic stroke. N Eng J Med 2008; 359: 1317–29.
10.
SandercockPLindleyRWardlawJThe third international stroke trial (IST-3) of thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke. Trials2008; 9:37.
11.
HarbisonJHossainOJenkinsonDDiagnostic accuracy of stroke referrals from primary care, emergency room physicians and ambulance staff using the face arm speech test. Stroke2003; 34:71–6.
12.
Stroke Unit Trialists’ Collaboration. Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007; (4):CD000197.
13.
VahediKHofmeijerJJuettlerEEarly decompressive surgery in malignant infarction of the middle cerebral artery: a pooled analysis of three randomised controlled trials. Lancet Neurol2007; 6:215–22.
14.
RiboMAlvarez-SabinJMontanerJTemporal profile of recanalisation after intravenous tissue plasminogen activator: selecting patients for rescue reperfusion techniques. Stroke2006; 37:1000–4.
15.
RascolOBrooksDJKorczynADA five-year study of the incidence of dyskinesia in patients with early Parkinson’s disease who were treated with ropinirole or levodopa. 056 Study Group. N Eng J Med2000; 342:1484–91.
16.
MurraySAKendallMBoydKIllness trajectories and palliative care. BMJ2005; 330:1007–11.
17.
Gold standards framework. Available from: http://www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk
18.
SheldonRRoseSRitchieD.Historical criteria that distinguish syncope from seizures. J Am Coll Cardiol2002; 40:142–8.
19.
MarsonAKharusi-AlAAlwaidhMThe SANAD study of effectiveness of carbamazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine or topiramate in partial epilepsy: an unblinded randomised controlled trial. Lancet2007; 369:1000–15.
20.
MarsonAKharusi-AlAAlwaidhMThe SANAD study of effectiveness of valproate, lamotrigine or topiramate in generalised and unclassifiable epilepsy: an unblinded randomised controlled trial. Lancet2007; 369:1016–26.
