Brain Ischemia: Basic Concepts and Clinical Relevance

Brain Ischemia was written by a clinician for clinicians with the express purpose of giving the practicing neurologist the scientific basis for understanding and exploiting new ideas and therapies for ischemic brain disease. The neurologist is no longer asked simply to see, examine, diagnose, then pass by the patient with symptomatic cerebral ischemia. Instead, he or she is consulted by primary care physicians to prevent or treat symptoms of cerebrovascular disease, interpret them in the context of systemic illnesses, and forecast their outcomes. Although the incidence of stroke has declined during the past 15 years, clinical interest in ischemic brain disease has grown dramatically, fueled by new understanding of its pathophysiology. Advances in molecular biology of cell membranes, neurotransmitter physiology, and mechanisms of cellular death challenge clinicians to reeducate themselves constantly or to risk using new therapies inappropriately or dangerously. This book succeeds well in organizing, presenting, and explaining the