This timely volume reviews current data on the effects of estrogen on the central nervous system, highlighting clinical aspects of this topic. Experts from the fields of psychiatry, pharmacology, neurology, and geriatrics collaborate to clarify the known risks and benefits of hormone therapy and explore questions that remain to be elucidated.

Among the topics discussed:” Preclinical data on estrogen’s effects on cognitive performance” The short-lived effects of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function” Structural and functional brain imaging data regardingestrogen’s effects on the central nervous system ” Preclinical efforts to develop effective NeuroSERMs for the brain ” The effects of estrogen on mood

Citing the ongoing confusion over the risks and benefits of estrogen therapy, the contributors emphasize the need for additional research on medication, doses, preparations, methods of administration, alternative therapies, and supplements.

This volume educates researchers, clinicians, and students on the current knowledge — including the effects of estrogen on mood, cognition, and brain metabolism — and provides guidelines for clinical practice and future research.

Contributors: Roberta Diaz Brinton, Ph.D., University of Southern California; Cheri L. Geist, B.A., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; Robert B. Gibbs, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy; Eva Hogervorst, Ph.D., University of Loughborough and University of Oxford; Pauline M. Maki, Ph.D., Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of Illinois–Chicago; Peter J. Schmidt, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health; Daniel H. S. Silverman, M.D., Ph.D., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles; Katherine E. Williams, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine; Kristine Yaffe, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, and San Francisco VA Medical Center; Laurel N. Zappert, B.A., Stanford University School of Medicine; Liqin Zhao, Ph.D., University of Southern California

Reflecting the recent leaps in understanding this condition, Pheochromocytoma: Diagnosis, Localization, and Treatment provides a comprehensive update on the improvements in the diagnosis, localization, management and treatment of pheochromocytomas – providing you with the latest cutting edge science alongside best clinical practice. Written by the leading names in the field, the text details the significant developments in understanding the genetics and biology of the tumors, coupled with technological advances in the fields of analytical chemistry, genomics, molecular biology and nuclear medicine.

The most comprehensive book on pheochromocytoma

• Provides cutting edge science and clinical guidance
• Written by the leading names in the field
• Authors present their recently developed novel biochemical test for the diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma

(more…)

This is the first book to fully explain the relationships between psychiatric illness, Metabolic Syndrome, diet, sleep, exercise, medications, and lifestyle choices. Metabolic Syndrome is a major risk factor in Major Depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, Sleep Disorders, Sexual Dysfunction, Fibromyalgia, and several other illnesses of psychiatric significance. Conversely, some psychiatric illnesses tend to predispose patients to Metabolic Syndrome. Of further interest is the fact that some of the medications used in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses have been found to cause or exacerbate Metabolic Syndrome.

The author here provides basic information about what genetic predispositions, medical conditions, and lifestyle choices make Metabolic Syndrome more likely to occur. Among the contributing factors that are discussed are genetics, habitual intake of high glycemic index carbohydrates, fructose, saturated fats, trans fatty acids, vitamins, micronutrients, obesity, smoking, and lack of exercise.

The author describes the actual mechanisms by which Metabolic Syndrome progresses and causes damage in the body, including the action of insulin and the pathophysiology of insulin resistance. Details are provided on what occurs in the liver, pancreas, muscle, fat cells, and immune system as Metabolic Syndrome progresses. New findings are presented on fat cells, including the fact that they are beginning to be considered as endocrine cells. There is a substantive discussion of leptin, which is one of the important adipocytokines. Also carbohydrate, ‘bad fats’, inflammation, oxidative damage, over-stimulation of the ‘fight or flight’ system, and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can actually cause the manifestations of Metabolic Syndrome. These explanations set the stage for an explanation of the inter-relationships between Metabolic Syndrome, psychiatric illness, dementia and effects of not only diet and life choices, but also the effects of psychiatric medications.

Finally, there is an important and unique section on the relationship between Metabolic Syndrome and various psychiatric illnesses, and how they exacerbate each other. The significance of Metabolic Syndrome in Major Depression, Bipolar Affective Disorder, Schizophrenia, fibromyalgia and Polycystic Ovary Disease is vast and it is important to realise the effects of psychiatric medications on Metabolic Syndrome. The author discusses antidepressants, mood stabilizers and the new atypical antipsychotics. There are dramatic differences among medications in the way they affect Metabolic Syndrome and pharmaceutical companies will want to promote patient awareness with this book.

* Provides an understanding of Metabolic Syndrome and how this syndrome is a major risk factor in depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, Sleep Disorders, Sexual Dysfunction, and other illnesses of psychiatric significance.
* Places specific emphasis on the connection of Metabolic Syndrome with Psychiatric illnesses, and how these conditions exacerbate each other.
* Discusses the actual mechanisms by which Metabolic Syndrome progresses and causes damage to the body.
* Explores the relationship between Major Depression, Heart Disease and Metabolic Syndrome.
* Includes supplementary section which discusses and critiques many current dietary supplements that are thought to be helpful for Metabolic Syndrome.
* Discusses the roles of diet, genetics and supplements in managing Metabolic Syndrome.

(more…)

Containing clear, practical advice, this text is an essential, practical resource to bridge the gap between expensive reference texts and smaller manuals.

Practical Management of Haemoglobinopathies is an ideal for;

• Trainees and residents in haematology
• Hematologists in practice
• Healthcare professionals treating those with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia

Why Buy This Book?

• Deals with practical problems encountered in the comprehensive care of affected individuals
• Each chapter written by an expert in the field
• Comprehensive coverage of basic science, laboratory diagnosis, psychosocial support and community care

(more…)

When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children, and the Law is the first book to fully examine the complex web of legal and ethical questions that arise when criminal prosecutions are mounted against parents whose children die as a result of the phenomenon known by experts as religion-based medical
neglect. Do constitutional protections for religious liberty shield parents who fail to provide adequate medical treatment for their sick children? Are parents likewise shielded by state child-neglect faith laws that seem to include exemptions for healing practices? What purpose do prosecutions
really serve when it’s clear that many deeply religious parents harbor no fear of temporal punishment? Peters offers a review of important legal cases in both England and America from the 19th century to the present day. He devotes special attention to cases involving Christian Science, the source
of many religion-based medical neglect deaths, but also considers cases arising from the refusal of Jehovah’s witnesses to allow blood transfusions or inoculations. Individual cases dating back to the mid-19th century illuminate not only the legal issues at stake but also the profound human drama of
religion-based medical neglect of children.

Based on a wide array of primary and secondary source materials - among them judicial opinions, trial transcripts, police and medical examiner reports, news accounts, personal interviews, and scholarly studies - this book explores efforts by the legal system to balance judicial protections for the
religious liberty of faith-healers against the state’s obligation to safeguard the rights of children.

(more…)

Why do racial and ethnic controversies become attached, as they often do, to discussions of modern genetics? How do theories about genetic difference become entangled with political debates about cultural and group differences in America? Such issues are a conspicuous part of the histories of three hereditary diseases: Tay-Sachs, commonly identified with Jewish Americans; cystic fibrosis, often labeled a “Caucasian” disease; and sickle cell disease, widely associated with African Americans.

In this captivating account, historians Keith Wailoo and Stephen Pemberton reveal how these diseases — fraught with ethnic and racial meanings for many Americans — became objects of biological fascination and crucibles of social debate. Peering behind the headlines of breakthrough treatments and coming cures, they tell a complex story: about different kinds of suffering and faith, about unequal access to the promises and perils of modern medicine, and about how Americans consume innovation and how they come to believe in, or resist, the notion of imminent medical breakthroughs.

With Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease as a powerful backdrop, the authors provide a glimpse into a diverse America where racial ideologies, cultural politics, and conflicting beliefs about the power of genetics shape disparate health care expectations and experiences.

The most convenient, rapid-access resource for orthopedics and sports medicine, packed with clinical facts, figures, and data you will turn to again and again

This portable guide is filled with evidence-based facts, figures, and data for understanding and managing common-but often challenging-complaints related to the musculoskeletal system.

Orthopedics and Sports Medicine expertly covers all joints from the neck and shoulder, to the spine and ankle. Supporting this outstanding coverage is a handy table-based format that allows you to find and apply information as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Features:

• All the bottom-line, clinical essentials required to effectively manage orthopedic conditions
• Clear tabular format
• Numerous illustrations
• Practical, ready-to-use coverage of exam procedures, plus the very latest disease and disorder information
• Evidence-based findings and references

(more…)

In this new edition, Practicing Neurology: What You Need to Know, What You Need to Do, the latest volume from our Current Clinical Neurology™ series, Rahman Pourmand takes readers through the process of treating neurological conditions from evaluation to emergencies. For each condition, Pourmand provides basic facts, key definitions, step-by-step instructions for conducting a concise physical examination, neurologic signs to watch for, treatment strategies, and the prognosis.

In Part I, the author outlines neurological history and examination, highlighting some common neurological constructs while elucidating the most up-to-date neurodiagnostic tests and procedures. Part II details common neurological conditions including stroke, seizure and epilepsy, central nervous system infections, complications from alcohol, dizziness and vertigo, headaches, sleep disorders, and back and neck pain. In Part III, neurological urgencies and emergencies, such as comas, status epilepticus, brain edema, transtentorial herniation, metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, acute meningitis, delirium tremens, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, myastenia gravis crisis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and temporal arteritis are covered in detail.

Depression is a mood disorder that affects one in ten Americans in any given year. At one time too stigmatized to be mentioned in polite conversation, depression is now discussed frankly in the media, and advertisements for drug therapy appear everywhere. The third edition of this widely acclaimed book reflects changes in how mood disorders are thought about, and how they are treated.

Dr. Francis Mark Mondimore, author of the best-selling book Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families, here explains depression — its causes and symptoms, and its treatment. He discusses depression in all age groups and in both sexes, as well as bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorders, and depression that accompanies illness. This edition encompasses more than a decade of new research, advances in pharmacology, and changes in public perception.

The past ten years have seen the release of new forms of the major antidepressants as well as other promising new avenues in pharmaceutical treatments. For example “atypical” or “second generation” antidepressants, such as venlafaxine and duloxetine, provide different ways of manipulating the chemical systems in the brain concerned with mood. And there have been significant advances in the use of MAO inhibitors, now available in patch form.

Dr. Mondimore reviews these and other pharmacological therapies as part of a comprehensive approach to treatment that includes psychotherapy, family and community support, and lifestyle changes. Full of information compassionately presented, this guide provides hope and help to patients and their families.

Neonatal intensive care has been one of the most morally controversial areas of medicine during the past thirty years. This study examines the interconnected development of four key aspects of neonatal intensive care: medical advances, ethical analysis, legal scrutiny, and econometric evaluation.

The authors assert that a dramatic shift in societal attitudes toward newborns and their medical care was a stimulus for and then a result of developments in the medical care of newborns. They divide their analysis into three eras of neonatal intensive care. The first, characterized by the rapid advance of medical technology from the late 1960s to the Baby Doe case of 1982, established neonatal care as a legitimate specialty of medical care, separate from the rest of pediatrics and medicine. During this era, legal scholars and moral philosophers debated the relative importance of parental autonomy, clinical prognosis, and children’s rights.

The second era, beginning with the Baby Doe case (a legal battle that spurred legislation mandating that infants with debilitating birth defects be treated unless the attending physician deems efforts to prolong life “futile”), stimulated efforts to establish a consistent federal standard on neonatal care decisions and raised important moral questions concerning the meaning of “futility” and of “inhumane” treatment. In the third era, a consistent set of decision-making criteria and policies was established. These policies were the result of the synergy and harmonization of newly agreed upon ethical principles and newly discovered epidemiological characteristics of neonatal care.

Tracing the field’s recent history, notable advances, and considerable challenges yet to be faced, the authors present neonatal bioethics as a paradigm of complex conversation among physicians, philosophers, policy makers, judges, and legislators which has led to responsible societal oversight of a controversial medical innovation.

A heart that once beat erratically has regained its natural rhythm. A woman paralyzed by an automobile accident is now able to resume her favorite hobby. Physicians using a robotic surgeon named da Vinci perform lifesaving operations. These are some of the feats of biomedical engineering, one of the fastest-moving areas in medicine. In this exhilarating book, award-winning writer Fen Montaigne journeys through this little-known world, sharing the stories of ordinary people who have been transformed by technology.

From the almost commonplace pacemaker to the latest generation of artificial hearts, Montaigne tells the stories of pioneering patients, engineers, and surgeons. Taking the reader behind the scenes of a dozen of America’s leading centers of biomedical engineering, Montaigne recounts the field’s history while describing cutting-edge work in medical imaging, orthopedics, cardiovascular care, neurological therapies, and genetics.

Through the stories of patients whose lives have been saved and improved by biomedical devices, Montaigne reveals the marriage of medicine and engineering to be one of society’s greatest advances.

Because critical care medicine is a cutting-edge medical field that is highly evidence-based, studies are continuously published altering the approach to patient-care. This creates a challenge for many clinicians to keep abreast of the latest data. This book serves as a pocket bedside medical reference, providing the unique element of supplying a step-by-step design that will guide clinicians in giving their patient optimal, evidence-based care. The book provides practical points based on both real patient-care experience and review of current medical literature with the aim of providing guidance to all critical care clinicians. By covering the most common ailments observed in critically ill medical patients and using an algorithmic, easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach while focusing on pharmacotherapeutics with a greater in-depth review of optimal pharmacological principles, clinicians with varying degrees of training will be able to follow. Additionally assessment tools (e.g., sedation assessment), preventative strategies (e.g., stress-related mucosal damage prophylaxis), drug-induced disease states, and pharmacological pearls (e.g. [from sample chapters], neuromuscular blockade reversal, adverse effects of blood transfusions, and propylene glycol content of various medications) are provided, along with up to date references and web-links for many disease states so clinicians who want to review the available literature are able to do so. One order to make the book easy to reference in an emergency or ICU setting, individual chapters utilize one table per disease state. The current books on the market do not emphasis specific disease therapeutics – this book offers very specific context for the therapeutic treatment and management of a disease.

(more…)