This book offers clear, detailed guidance on all aspects of prognostic evaluation in patients who have been involved in a serious accident with neurological consequences or have been diagnosed with a severe neurological illness. It covers the full range of disorders of the central and the peripheral nervous system, not only providing very accurate prognostic estimates but also addressing relevant clinical issues, differential diagnosis, and the role of imaging. The book is practically oriented and designed for use on a daily basis when assessing prognosis and discussing the outcome with patients, their families, and other interested parties. It will support patient–doctor partnerships by ensuring that the most professional answers can be given to patients' and doctors' questions and by promoting realistic expectations of the effect of medical interventions. In addition, it will enable doctors, lawyers, and other professionals to understand relevant issues when an estimate of prognosisand life expectancy is the subject of legal dispute.
Angelo Sghirlanzoni is a clinical neurologist with a particular interest in diseases of the neuromuscular junction and peripheral nerves. With the exception of two post-doctorate periods at the National Hospital (Queen Square) in London and the Prince Albert Hospital (University of Sydney), Dr. Sghirlanzoni has always practiced at the C. Besta National Institute of Neurology of Milan, Italy, where he is Head of Training and Continuing Education. He is a founder and director of the online neurology journal Neurotube. He is the author or editor of several Italian language publications with Springer, including Terapia dei Tumori Cerebrali dell’Adulto e del Bambino (Adults and Children's Brain Tumor Therapy, 2002), Le Complicazioni Neurologiche in Oncologia (Neurological Complications in Oncology, 2006),Terapie delle malattie neurologiche 2nd ed. (Therapy of Neurological Diseases, 2010) and Guida alla Valutazione Medico-legale del Danno Neurologico (A Guide to the Medical-legal Evaluation of Neurologic Injury, 2012).
Luisa Chiapparini has been Assistant Chief of the Neuroradiological Unit of the C. Besta National Institute of Neurology of Milan since 1993. She is an expert diagnostic neuroradiologist with dual board certification in Radiology and Neurology. She is particularly interested in adult and childhood neurodegenerative diseases, pediatric cerebral and spine malformations, epilepsy, headache, spine and spinal cord diseases, and peripheral nerve and muscle imaging. She is the author of more than 75 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has an H-index of 20. She is a reviewer for many important international scientific journals, including Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neurological Sciences, Pain Medicine, and Headache.
Giuseppe Lauria Pinter works at the C. Besta National Institute of Neurology of Milan, in the Unit of Neuromuscular Diseases and Neuroimmunology. His main areas of interest are peripheral neuropathy, neuropathic pain, and ALS, and he is responsible for the Cutaneous Innervation Laboratory Study at the Institute. Dr. Lauria is Visiting Professor at Ferrara University and Adjunct Professor at the University of Brescia. He is a member of the Peripheral Nerve Society, the Italian Group for the Study of the Peripheral Nervous System, and the Italian Society of Neurology (SIN). Dr. Lauria is the author of more than 80 scientific papers and eight book chapters and is the co-editor of two books. He has an H-index of 16 and is a reviewer for many important international scientific journals.
