McAlpine's Multiple Sclerosis

The previous edition of the book surveyed knowledge of selected topics in multiple sclerosis up to 1983. Succeeding years have seen notable advances in means of investigation and increasing sophistication in the collection of epidemiological data and in the organization and assessment of therapeutic trials. In the laboratory, the nature of the disease process has been tenaciously pursued. Despite this continuously increasing endeavour, the goals of revealing the cause of the disease and of limiting or reversing its effects have not yet been achieved. As before, emphasis has been placed in clinical aspects, but even here the topic is so vast that important areas have had to be neglected, in particular the social implications of the disease, the management of day-to-day problems in the home and the extent of practical help available. These are covered by many admirable publications, written with the necessary involvement of people with multiple sclerosis, and circumstances vary greatly from one country to another.