Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis, Medical Management, and Rehabilitation [Hardcover]

Dr. Jack Burks MD (Author), Dr. Kenneth Johnson MD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Although new immunomodulating treatments have made dramatic inroads into lessening the impact of multiple sclerosis, no cure is yet in sight. Most patients will progress, and dealing with their many complex symptoms and issues requires many levels of medical and rehabilitative care. This important book focuses on symptom control and clinical management using these innovative therapies and is packed with practical, easy-to-access information.

Highlights of this outstanding clinical tool:

• Detailed coverage of individual symptoms and corresponding management techniques.
• Discussion of the newest immunomodulating therapies -- combining the most recent data with the authors' actual clinical experience.
• Inclusion of easy-to-follow algorithms for clear, strategic decision-making.
• Coverage of rehabilitation issues, including safety and quality of life.
• Valuable chapters on integrating MS patients into their communities.

Take advantage of the most up-to-date information in a rapidly changing field, covering complex medical and rehabilitative issues in a clear, straightforward format. Order today for the newest management strategies in multiple sclerosis. (20100503)

Editorial Reviews

From The New England Journal of Medicine

In this excellent resource for physicians involved in the care of patients with multiple sclerosis, most of the chapters are authoritative and well written. The material is presented clearly and concisely; well-designed tables help to summarize the main points of each chapter. The index is well laid out and easy to use. Important scales used in the evaluation of patients or in clinical research are presented in an easily understandable manner, and the advantages and disadvantages of each scale are thoughtfully considered. In addition, the reference lists are sufficiently detailed, and the cited works are simple enough to find, that readers can easily identify and seek out the most important publications in the vast literature on multiple sclerosis. There are two specific areas, however, in which the book could be improved in future editions.

The first is the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis. The chapter on this topic is focused on only a small part of the available information: it is devoted largely to older literature about the worldwide distribution of the disease and the few (and controversial) alleged epidemics of multiple sclerosis. Newer information on the natural history of multiple sclerosis is, for the most part, ignored. There also needs to be a broader consideration of other epidemiologic aspects of multiple sclerosis, such as the prognosis for substantial disability (and factors that may alter this prognosis), genetic factors, the likelihood that multiple sclerosis will develop after an initial episode of demyelination (and the use of magnetic resonance imaging and other techniques in estimating this likelihood), the effect of multiple sclerosis on life expectancy, the relation of attacks of multiple sclerosis to nonspecific viral infections, and the relation between such attacks and conditions such as pregnancy.

The second deficiency is in the coverage of treatment. It seems unfortunate that the editors have divided the discussions of treatment into separate chapters according to relapsing and progressive forms of the disease. Because many of the available treatments can be used for both forms of multiple sclerosis, it would have been preferable to have these therapies considered in a single chapter. That way, the quality of the evidence in favor of each therapy could have been considered separately, and specific recommendations regarding the appropriate use of each agent could have been made. As presented in this book, the information on treatment is a bit confusing. For example, the fact that interferon beta and glatiramer acetate are considered primarily in the chapter on relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis suggests that these treatments are inappropriate (or of only emerging status) for progressive forms. By contrast, the principal discussion in the chapter on treatment of progressive forms of multiple sclerosis is confined to immunosuppressive agents such as azathioprine, cladribine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, methotrexate, glucocorticoids, and plasma exchange. This suggests that these treatments (unlike interferon beta and glatiramer acetate) are of established value in the management of progressive multiple sclerosis. However, the value of many of these therapeutic approaches remains to be established. Indeed, these treatments, although widely available, are typically prescribed for only a small minority of patients with multiple sclerosis, and in some cases the evidence in favor of the so-called emerging therapies is substantially better than it is for the former treatments. Moreover, certain discussions regarding individual immunosuppressive treatments in the chapter on progressive forms seem to suggest that some of these agents (e.g., azathioprine) are actually more appropriate for the treatment of relapsing forms. Whereas I agree with most authorities that immunomodulatory therapy should be started soon after multiple sclerosis is diagnosed, agreement is not universal about which particular therapy to start. Given this circumstance, it would have been preferable to remove any general considerations of whom to treat and when to begin treatment from the discussions of specific agents and to include them elsewhere instead.

In summary, this is an excellent and comprehensive book on a wide range of topics relating to multiple sclerosis. The discussions are, in general, thorough and accurate and the information easily accessible. It will be a welcome addition to the library of any physician with an interest in the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis.

Douglas S. Goodin, M.D.
Copyright © 2000 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

Review

"The material is presented clearly and concisely; well-designed tables help to summarize the main points of each chapter. The index is well laid out and easy to use. Important scales used in the evaluation of patients or in clinical research are presented in an easily understandable manner, and the advantages and disadvantages of each scale are thoughtfully considered. In addition, the reference lists are sufficiently detailed, and the cited works are simple enough to find, that readers can easily identify and seek out the most important publications in the vast literature on multiple sclerosis...."
-- The New England Journal of Medicine

"This is a wonderfully detailed and eminently readable book on themanagement of multiple sclerosis and all of its symptoms. Theillustrations are excellent. The reviews are gems -- combining readability, authority, and detail in a carefully crafted chapter. Much time and effort has obviously gone into creating a superbly written and carefully edited book. This book will be valued by neurologists and physiatrists alike who encounter multiple sclerosis patients." -- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine

"...I would recommend the book as a reference to those who are involved in clinical care of MS patients...."-- International Journal of MS Care

"The value in the textbook lies in the fact that it is well written and comprehensive: one stop shopping for a variety of topics related to MS. Excellent charts make the information easily accessible...This book is a wonderful resource for neurologists, physiatrists and allied health care professionals involved in the daily management of MS"--Consortium of MS Centers "

(Consortium of MS Centers )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 598 pages
• Publisher: Demos Medical; 1 edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888799358
• ISBN-13: 978-1888799354
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,166,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for those newly-diagnosed with MS, February 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis, Medical Management, and Rehabilitation (Hardcover)

Well, since my MS diagnosis three months ago, I've gone through every book on the subject in my provincial library system. I've not left a page unturned in pamphlets, booklets, newsletters, etc. I'm just so eager for information on the subject, I can't get enough of it. And the best for information advice? No argument, hands down, it's this book. Okay, so it's probably supposedly a medical textbook but it's so darn great for people with MS to read, too. As a matter of fact, I could understand it more readily than some books written for laypeople. It was no-nonsense in its approach to the matter, and certainly not biased one way or the other re treatments, medications, progressions, what-have-you. It's sub-title should've been "Everything you wanted to know about MS - and much much much more". A laywriter writing a book, usually a person with MS, concentrates on his or her own symptoms but this book covers a multitude of them and explains in detail. It's not just mentioned that a person may have (for example) "sensory symptoms". It explains what "sensory symptoms" are to the nth degree. Not many GP's know much about the history, treatments, symptoms, signs of MS. I wish my doctor had this book on his shelf. My first sit-down read of it lasted three hours and I only got quarter-way through - and this without missing out one page. The rest of it I can dip into over time. I felt reassured reading this book, comfortable even. Forewarned is forearmed they say, and this book is forearming me well!! - I'm not (so) scared now.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent resource!, May 29, 2006

By 

Robert W. Smith "Robert Smith, Ph.D." (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis, Medical Management, and Rehabilitation (Hardcover)

like the other reviewer, i've read just about everything on this topic, except a couple of the most expensive medical texts without reviews. this book is very well written. chapter authors read like a who's who in the field and offer, in my mind, a certain degree of instant credibility. topics are fairly thoroughly discussed. not only did i read it the first week i bought it, but i've consulted it at least once or twice a month since then for management suggestions, which probably could be provided in a more practical format for patients or busy physicians. i think that anyone with m.s. who has an interest in the biology behind it would benefit from reading it, although there are times when it put me to sleep with levels of detail that i hadn't had the training to understand (although with a second read i was usually able to figure out those "difficult parts"). you can't beat the used price and, frankly, i think it's worth the new price. while another reviewer had expressed disappointment that treatment was divided into relapsing and progressive forms, that really only occurs in 2 of the 36 chapters. two thumbs up! my biggest concern, at this point, is that most of the information is six to seven years old. neuroimaging techniques have advanced, medications have been introduced, removed, and re-introduced into the market, and general management procedures have changed since then. i'd buy an update (hint!).

4.0 out of 5 stars MS, September 19, 2010

By 

couchalot - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnosis, Medical Management, and Rehabilitation (Hardcover)

This text is on the old side, however, of all the MS books I have read, this is the most comprehensive.