The book covers the immunological and clinical aspects of immune-mediated diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, excluding multiple sclerosis. It includes paraneoplastic neurological disorders, and discusses the immune mechanisms in the growing number of recognised paraneoplastic conditions. It not only provides an overview of the field but also discusses the possible role of immunity in other neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Chapters are written by scientists and clinicians directly involved in each specific area, who have summarized the current understanding of neuroimmunology, with emphasis on the underlying abormalities of the immune responses, the different clinical expression of the diseases and the important use of immunotherapies in treatment. Figures and tables are included in each chapter.

Autoimmune neurologic disease results when the immune response to the body s own organs run wild and causes the immune system to attack itself. Autoimmunity is a main element in numerous nervous system diseases and can target any structure within the central or peripheral nervous system. Over the past 20 years significant advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of autoimmune disorders including biomarkers has led to new diagnosis and treatment options. Neurologic conditions associated with autoimmune reactions include, dementia, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy, sleep disorders, diabetes, and other common neurologic disorders and disease. This current tutorial-reference will be a must-have title for clinical neurologists, research neurologists and neuroscientists, and any medical professional working with autoimmune disease and disorders.

*Comprehensive coverage of autoimmune neurology *Details the latest techniques for the study, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders including dementia, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy, sleep disorders *A focused reference for clinical practitioners and the clinical neurology and neurology research communities"

Clinical Neurimmunology is the major reference text in the field, providing broad and comprehensive coverage of the interaction between the nervous and immune systems in both normal and diseased states. Understanding this interaction is fundamental to developing therapeutic approaches to disease and injury of the nervous system that are currently only marginally amenable to therapy. Neuroimmunology is a well-recognised and growing specialty world wide, both at the basic science and clinical level. It is a fast moving field and this is the most up to date text available. Chapters are dedicated to the role of the immune system in disorders affecting both the central and peripheral nervous systems, including important neurodegenerative diseases (such as multiple sclerosis and HIV-related neural degeneration) which cause life-long disability. Extensive coverage is given to a whole array of immune-directed therapies. The book has a strong international team of well respected, high profile editors and authors. The first edition published to extensive and positive reviews and has established itself as the principal reference source in the field. This second edition summarizes recent advances in clinical neuroimmunology in a comprehensive and unbiased way.

Immune-mediated neurological disorders present an increasing challenge to neu- rologists. Recent advances have identified new antibodies, new effector mechanisms and new diagnostic tests; these have greatly enhanced our understanding of disease aetiology and opened up therapeutic opportunities, but a critical understanding of this fast -developing field is not easy to find. This volume was conceived following a very successful course on neuroimmu- no logy in Bergamo in 2000, and was written mainly by clinicians who are active in the laboratory. It will help to keep practising neurologists and neuroimmuno- logists abreast of the most recent developments, and to assess new information more critically. Angela Vincent and Gianvito Martino should be congratulated on master-min- ding this timely and practical text. July 2001 J. Newsom-Davis Professor Emeritus University of Oxford Table of Contents Introduction -Approaches to Understanding Immune-Mediated Neurological Disorders: Measuring and Evaluating Autoantibodies to Neuronal Antigens G. MARTINO, A. VINCENT ..**.*...*...*..**...*.**..*...**.**...