"My heart was throbbing wildly. I was frightened. I opened the door brusquely, and in the darkness I distinguished a white figure, standing erect, something that resembled an apparition." When the narrator in Guy de Maupassant’s short story "The Spasm" meets a father and his ill daughter at a health spa, he is reminded of characters from the universe of Edgar Allan Poe. What they proceed to recount to him is a tale so gruesome and harrowing that even Poe himself would cower in fear. Inspired by a real nineteenth century risk of premature burial, "The Spasm" comes with a shocking twist that holds everyone captive until the very end. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a famous French writer, best known as one of the finest practitioners of the French short story. Master of style and dramatic narrative, Maupassant’s stories are mainly interested in the relationships between men and women, often found at the crossroads of life. One of his greatest influences was Gustave Flaubert, who introduced him to some of the central names of the time such as Emile Zola, Henry James, and Ivan Turgenev. Some of his best known works include the novels "Bel Ami" and "Une Vie", more than 300 short stories, travel books, and even an attempt at poetry.

Delve into the unsettling and suspenseful world of ""The Spasm"" by Guy De Maupassant. This gripping short story centers on a sudden and inexplicable spasm that disrupts the protagonist's life, exploring themes of fear, unpredictability, and the fragility of human existence. Maupassant’s narrative creates a tense and eerie atmosphere, highlighting the impact of sudden, uncontrollable events on individuals. De Maupassant masterfully builds suspense and psychological tension, using the spasm as a metaphor for the unpredictability of life and the vulnerability of the human condition. The story offers a compelling look at how fear and anxiety can affect one's perception of reality. ""The Spasm"" is perfect for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers and stories with a focus on suspense and tension. Ideal for those who appreciate Guy De Maupassant’s skill in creating gripping and thought-provoking narratives.

This book is a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to hemifacial spasm, one of the very few neuromuscular disorders that can be treated surgically. All aspects are covered, including classification, pathogenesis, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, surgical principles and practice, medical treatment, the role of botulinum toxin injection, complications, prognosis, and redo surgery. Dr. Kwan Park has performed microvascular decompression surgery, the treatment of choice, in more than 4000 hemifacial spasm patients at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, Korea. Over the past two decades, important lessons have been learned and new technologies adopted. This book draws together the many scientific contributions of Dr. Park and his team and offers the very latest insights into management of the condition. It will be an excellent guide for young neurosurgeons wishing to master the relevant surgical skills, as well as for all other medical personnel who may encounter patients with involuntary twitching or contraction on one side of the face.

Some people suffer from chronic, debilitating disorders for which no conventional treatment brings relief. Can marijuana ease their symptoms? Would it be breaking the law to turn to marijuana as a medication? There are few sources of objective, scientifically sound advice for people in this situation. Most books about marijuana and medicine attempt to promote the views of advocates or opponents. To fill the gap between these extremes, authors Alison Mack and Janet Joy have extracted critical findings from a recent Institute of Medicine study on this important issue, interpreting them for a general audience. Marijuana As Medicine? provides patientsâ€"as well as the people who care for themâ€"with a foundation for making decisions about their own health care. This empowering volume examines several key points, including: Whether marijuana can relieve a variety of symptoms, including pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and appetite loss. The dangers of smoking marijuana, as well as the effects of its active chemical components on the immune system and on psychological health. The potential use of marijuana-based medications on symptoms of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and several other specific disorders, in comparison with existing treatments. Marijuana As Medicine? introduces readers to the active compounds in marijuana. These include the principal ingredient in Marinol, a legal medication. The authors also discuss the prospects for developing other drugs derived from marijuana's active ingredients. In addition to providing an up-to-date review of the science behind the medical marijuana debate, Mack and Joy also answer common questions about the legal status of marijuana, explaining the conflict between state and federal law regarding its medical use. Intended primarily as an aid to patients and caregivers, this book objectively presents critical information so that it can be used to make responsible health care decisions. Marijuana As Medicine? will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, health care providers, patient counselors, medical faculty and studentsâ€"in short, anyone who wants to learn more about this important issue.

With the contribution from more than one hundred CNS neurotrauma experts, this book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account on the latest developments in the area of neurotrauma including biomarker studies, experimental models, diagnostic methods, and neurotherapeutic intervention strategies in brain injury research. It discusses neurotrauma mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and neurocognitive and neurobehavioral deficits. Also included are medical interventions and recent neurotherapeutics used in the area of brain injury that have been translated to the area of rehabilitation research. In addition, a section is devoted to models of milder CNS injury, including sports injuries.

Parents have come to depend on vaccines to protect their children from a variety of diseases. Some evidence suggests, however, that vaccination against pertussis (whooping cough) and rubella (German measles) is, in a small number of cases, associated with increased risk of serious illness. This book examines the controversy over the evidence and offers a comprehensively documented assessment of the risk of illness following immunization with vaccines against pertussis and rubella. Based on extensive review of the evidence from epidemiologic studies, case histories, studies in animals, and other sources of information, the book examines: The relation of pertussis vaccines to a number of serious adverse events, including encephalopathy and other central nervous system disorders, sudden infant death syndrome, autism, Guillain-Barre syndrome, learning disabilities, and Reye syndrome. The relation of rubella vaccines to arthritis, various neuropathies, and thrombocytopenic purpura. The volume, which includes a description of the committee's methods for evaluating evidence and directions for future research, will be important reading for public health officials, pediatricians, researchers, and concerned parents.

This book represents the final work of the late Professor C. David Marsden, who was the most influential figure in the field of movement disorders, in terms of his contributions to both research and clinical practice, in the modern era. It was conceived and written by David Marsden and his colleague at the Institute of Neurology, Prof. Ivan Donaldson. It was their intention that this would be the most comprehensive book on movement disorders and also that it would serve as the 'clinical Bible' for the management of these conditions. It provides a masterly survey of the entire topic, which has been made possible only by vast laboratory and bedside experience. Marsden's Book of Movement Disorders covers the full breadth of movement disorders, from the underlying anatomy and understanding of basal ganglia function to the diagnosis and management of specific movement disorders, including the more common conditions such as Parkinson's Disease through to rare, and very rare conditions such as Niemann-Pick disease. Chapters follow a structured format with historical overviews, definitions, clinical features, differential diagnosis, investigations and treatment covered in a structured way. It is extensively illustrated with many original photographs and diagrams of historical significance. Among these illustrations are still images of some original film clips of some of Dr. Marsden's patients published here for the first time. Comprehensively referenced and updated by experts from the Institute of Neurology at Queen Square, this book is a valuable reference for, not just movement disorder specialists and researchers, but also for clinicians who care for patients with movement disorders.