Diseases of nerve

Disorders of the peripheral nervous system cause characteristic motor, sensory, and autonomic symptoms and signs that should be recognized by the clinician. Once identified, these clinical deficits can be further characterized by their pattern of involvement and temporal evolution. Taken together, these elements of the history and physical can help the clinician create a neuropathy differential diagnosis that targets the most likely etiologies. Although an in-depth understanding of the specific causes of neuropathy is important, the knowledge is applied most efficiently when the basic concepts of neuropathy are well understood.