EDITOR’S PREFACE

Disorders of Peripheral Nerves,

From Beginning to End
This issue of Continuum is devoted to the diagnosis and management
of the spectrum of neurologic diseases that involve the peripheral
nerves, from the anterior horn cells and sensory ganglions to the
most distal axons. To accomplish this monumental task, I am so
thankful that Dr A. Gordon Smith, Chair of the American Academy
of Neurology Education Committee and member of the Continuum Editorial Board,
accepted my invitation to serve as the guest editor for this issue, and I am so
appreciative of Dr Smith for his organization of such well-thought-out topics and for
bringing such remarkable experts on board.

The issue starts with the article by Dr Zachary N.
London, who provides his guide of how to approach
the categorization and diagnosis of peripheral
nervous system disorders, serving as a comprehensive
introduction to the articles that follow in this issue.
Next, Dr Christopher H. Gibbons discusses the
pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of the
neuropathic disorders that occur because of diabetes
and other metabolic disorders, the most common
causes of neuropathy in our clinics.
Dr Kazim A. Sheikh then reviews the
pathophysiology, diagnosis, and most up-to-date
management considerations in Guillain-Barré
syndrome and its variants. Similarly, in the following
article, Dr Kelly Gwathmey reviews the pathophysiology,
diagnosis, and current management options for chronic
inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
(CIDP) and its variants and includes a discussion of
the relatively recent concept of the nodopathies and
paranodopathies.
Next, Dr Christopher J. Klein discusses the
evolving nomenclature, categorization, and clinical
features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and other
hereditary neuropathies. Dr Chafic Karam then
reviews the diagnosis and management of peripheral
neuropathies that can occur in association with
vasculitis (whether isolated to the peripheral nervous
system or part of a systemic process) and autoimmune
connective tissue diseases. Dr Nathan P. Staff then
discusses peripheral neuropathies that occur as a
consequence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies,
toxins, and medications, important causes of
peripheral neuropathy that are potentially reversible
if recognized early. Next, Drs Amanda C. Peltier and
Derek Wood discuss the management of neuropathic
pain in polyneuropathy, a disabling symptom that
can occur as a consequence of many of the variety of
causes of polyneuropathy discussed in this issue.
The next articles discuss the disorders that involve
dysfunction of the anterior horn cells. First, Drs Colin
Quinn and Lauren Elman review the diagnosis and
management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and
other motor neuron diseases that predominantly
present in adults. Next, Dr Jessica Rose Nance reviews
spinal muscular atrophy, a previously untreatable
disorder for which knowledge of the genetic
underpinnings has led to recent and remarkable
clinically beneficial therapeutic breakthroughs.
In the final review article of the issue, Drs Elie
Naddaf and Michelle L. Mauermann carefully review
the diagnostic investigations, implications, and
management of the not uncommon clinical situation

1128 OCTOBER 2020

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in which peripheral neuropathies are associated with
monoclonal gammopathies.
This issue is distinguished by having two Practice
Issues articles. In the first article, Dr Brian C.
Callaghan analyzes the practical and important
concept of test utilization and value in the
investigation of peripheral neuropathies. In the
second article, Drs Jason L. Crowell and Ted M.
Burns provide their informed analysis and opinions
regarding rising costs of drugs for neurologic
diseases, including those of relevance to the topic of
this issue.
After reading the issue and taking the Postreading
Self-Assessment and CME Test written by Drs
Douglas J. Gelb and D. Joanne Lynn, readers may
earn up to 20 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM toward
self-assessment CME or, for Canadian participants, a
The result under Dr Smith’s guest
editorship is an issue that will
provide our readers with the
knowledge and skills needed to
diagnose and manage … patients …
with disorders affecting the
peripheral nervous system from the
nerve cell bodies to the terminal
axons and anywhere in between.
CONTINUUMJOURNAL.COM
Copyright © American Academy of Neurology. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
maximum of 20 hours toward the Self-Assessment
Program (Section 3) of the Maintenance of
Certification Program of the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Additional credit
can be obtained by listening to Continuum Audio
interviews associated with this and other Continuum
issues, available to all subscribers, and completing
tests on the Continuum Audio web platform or
mobile app. Continuum Audio is also accredited by
the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Canada.
We continue to invite all readers to try the new
Continuum mobile phone experience available at
continpub.com/ConBeta. Using this intuitively built
new mobile phone application, subscribers are able to
search, access, and read full Continuum articles,
including all text, tables, and figures, in an
easy-to-view format wherever they are and
whenever they want.
My sincere thank-you to Dr Smith for his
hands-on devotion to this complex issue through
every step of the editorial process. The result under
Dr Smith’s guest editorship is an issue that will
provide our readers with the knowledge and skills
needed to diagnose and manage the many patients
we see with disorders affecting the peripheral
nervous system from the nerve cell bodies to the
terminal axons and anywhere in between.
—STEVEN L. LEWIS, MD, FAAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
© 2020 American Academy of Neurology.
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