Palliative care for neurologic patients

Abstract:

Many neurologic diseases are progressive, incurable and with variable course. Individuals with conditions including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease (PD), muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and nervous system malignancies share a host of physical, emotional, and existential symptoms that can be difficult to treat. In addition, patients and their families face the realities of loss of function, loss of ability to communicate, and lifespans limited by the neurologic diagnosis. The optimal care of such patients requires that neurologists understand and apply the principles of palliative medicine. Indeed, the principles of palliative care are relevant to the management of many patients because minimizing distress and controlling pain and other symptoms are important even for patients with curable disease.

Key words:
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; multiple sclerosis; neurologic diseases; palliative care; Parkinsons disease