Disorders of the nervous system

This chapter deals with diseases of the nervous system. Starting with common symptoms of disorders of the nervous system, the chapter presents essential details of the clinical examinations and investigations employed in nervous system diseases. This is followed by nervous system diseases of dental interest which include headache, migraine, stroke (cerebrovascular accident), transient ischaemic attack (TIA), epilepsy, parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, motor neurone disease, trigeminal neuralgia, atypical trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, superior laryngeal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia, meningitis, and coma and examination of the comatose patient. Each disease entity starts with the definition or description followed by its causes, symptoms, signs, investigations employed and principles of management. Where relevant, the oral and dental aspects of diseases of the nervous system are also described.