Learn › Neurological
Neurological
Brain and nerves — headache, migraine, dementia, neuropathy.
41 posts in this body system.
Full-text search across every page — patient-education library, /pulse news commentary, and site pages. Try statin, TGA peptides, insomnia.
-
Neurofibromatosis type 1
Neurofibromatosis type 1: recognising and managing it in AU general practice
How GPs diagnose NF1, monitor for MPNST and optic pathway gliomas, support children's learning needs, and navigate the PBS selumetinib pathway.
-
Brain abscess
Brain abscess: recognition and emergency referral from AU general practice
Brain abscess — why the classic triad is absent in most cases, MRI recognition, contraindications to LP, antibiotic regimens, and GP red flags.
-
Transverse myelitis
Transverse myelitis: urgent MRI and IV steroids — the GP's role
Acute spinal cord inflammation — LETM vs MS lesions, same-day neurology referral, IV methylprednisolone, plasma exchange, and NMOSD maintenance.
-
Optic neuritis
Optic neuritis: urgent referral, GCA exclusion, and the IV steroid decision
Optic neuritis — monocular vision loss in Australian general practice: same-day referral, GCA exclusion, IV methylprednisolone, and MS/NMOSD/MOGAD pathways.
-
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis: disease-modifying therapy and GP shared care
Multiple sclerosis DMT — phenotypes, PBS-listed options, early high-efficacy vs escalation, GP monitoring, vaccination, and AU shared-care operations.
-
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: the sight-threatening pressure syndrome
IIH: raised CSF pressure with papilloedema, daily headache, and vision loss risk. Diagnosis criteria, acetazolamide, weight management, and Australian pathways.
-
Anosmia and dysgeusia
Anosmia and dysgeusia: smell and taste loss — AU general practice approach
Anosmia and dysgeusia in Australian general practice — causes, workup, olfactory training, when to image, and red flags requiring urgent referral.
-
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease: chorea, suicide risk, and the AU general practice approach
Huntington's disease — the CAG repeat triad, VMAT2 inhibitors on PBS, suicide risk management, predictive testing pathway, and NDIS access in Australia.
-
Tics and Tourette syndrome
Tics and Tourette syndrome: the AU general practice guide for families
Tics and Tourette syndrome — diagnosis, why comorbidities (ADHD, OCD) matter most, CBIT behavioural therapy first-line, and when medication helps.
-
Medication-induced movement disorders
Medication-induced movement disorders: recognition and management
The five medication-induced movement disorders — dystonia, akathisia, drug-induced parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, and NMS — how to identify and manage each.
-
Myasthenia gravis
Myasthenia gravis: GP diagnosis and shared care
Fatigable muscle weakness in MG — how GPs recognise, investigate, co-manage myasthenia gravis, and respond to myasthenic crisis.
-
Encephalitis (viral, autoimmune, paraneoplastic)
Encephalitis: start IV aciclovir immediately, then transfer
Encephalitis — empirical IV aciclovir before investigation, HSV versus autoimmune versus mosquito-borne causes, and the AU GP emergency pathway.
-
Status epilepticus (generalised convulsive)
Status epilepticus: midazolam IM at 5 min, ESETT second-line
Status epilepticus — 5-minute treatment threshold, midazolam IM first-line, ESETT second-line equivalence, and AU driving and SUDEP counselling requirements.
-
Paediatric headache
Paediatric headache: migraine, tension-type, and when to escalate
Headache in children and adolescents — distinguishing primary from secondary, red flags, treatment options, and the AU general practice pathway.
-
Subarachnoid haemorrhage
Subarachnoid haemorrhage: recognising thunderclap headache in AU practice
Subarachnoid haemorrhage in Australian general practice — thunderclap headache, the sentinel bleed, Ottawa SAH Rule, CT sensitivity, and Cat-1 transfer.
-
Spinal cord compression (malignant, infective, traumatic)
Spinal cord compression: recognising MSCC and the GP emergency response
Metastatic spinal cord compression affects 5–10% of cancer patients and demands Cat-1 transfer, IV dexamethasone 16 mg loading, and same-day MRI.
-
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome: recognising ascending paralysis in general practice
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a neurological emergency. Learn to recognise ascending weakness, when to transfer urgently, and how IVIg and plasma exchange work.
-
Motor neuron disease (ALS/MND)
Motor neuron disease (MND/ALS) — an Australian patient's guide
What MND is, how it's diagnosed, treatments available in Australia, multidisciplinary care, and planning ahead — the general practice perspective.
-
Trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia: diagnosis, management, and the AU general practice role
Trigeminal neuralgia in Australian general practice — ICHD-3 diagnosis, mandatory MRI, PBS carbamazepine, surgical options, and suicide-risk screening.
-
Dysphagia — oropharyngeal and oesophageal
Dysphagia workup: localising and investigating difficulty swallowing
How Australian GPs localise dysphagia (oropharyngeal vs oesophageal), recognise red flags, and investigate — with the AU referral and investigation pathway.
-
Vestibular migraine
Vestibular migraine — recurring vertigo and its migraine connection
Vestibular migraine is the commonest cause of recurring spontaneous vertigo. GP guide to diagnosis, AU treatment, PBS options, and vestibular rehabilitation.
-
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS): the AU general practice approach
CRPS — Budapest criteria, why early multidisciplinary treatment matters, physiotherapy and psychology evidence, and AU referral pathways.
-
Paediatric ADHD and autism spectrum disorder
Paediatric ADHD and autism: diagnosis, treatment and AU pathways
ADHD and autism in children — AU diagnosis, behavioural therapy, stimulant prescribing, NDIS Early Childhood Approach, school support and GP shared care.
-
Autism spectrum disorder (late-diagnosed adult)
Adult autism diagnosis: late-recognised, correctly identified, well-supported
Autism in adults is frequently missed — especially in women. How a general practitioner approaches screening, referral, and support in AU.
-
Spinal stenosis (lumbar and cervical)
Spinal stenosis: lumbar and cervical — the Australian general practice approach
Neurogenic claudication, cervical myelopathy, conservative management, and surgical referral criteria for spinal stenosis in Australian general practice.
-
Hearing loss
Hearing loss: assessment and management — the AU general practice approach
Hearing loss in Australia — sudden SNHL emergency, presbycusis, paediatric OME, cochlear implants, and the Commonwealth Hearing Services Program.
-
Headache — primary and secondary
Headache: red-flag screening and workup — the AU general-practice approach
Headaches in general practice — SNOOP10 red-flag framework, when to image, dangerous secondary causes, and primary headache management.
-
Cluster headache
Cluster headache: acute care and prevention — the AU GP approach
Cluster headache — why oxygen is first-line for attacks, how verapamil is titrated safely, when to image, and the Australian general practice pathway.
-
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis: GP shared care, DMTs, and symptom management in Australia
How Australian GPs recognise MS relapses, co-manage disease-modifying therapy, and support patients through symptom management and NDIS access.
-
Concussion and mild traumatic brain injury
Concussion: graded return, red flags, and the Australian GP approach
Concussion in Australian general practice — red flag screening, graded return-to-sport, persistent post-concussion symptoms, and when to refer.
-
Delirium
Delirium: recognising acute confusion in older patients — the AU approach
Delirium — acute fluctuating confusion in older patients. How to use CAM and 4AT screening, find the cause, and manage safely per AU clinical care standards.
-
Epilepsy and seizures
Epilepsy and first seizure: the Australian general practice approach
ILAE seizure classification, first-seizure workup, ASM choice, valproate teratogenicity, Austroads driving rules, and SUDEP in Australian general practice.
-
Migraine, tension-type headache, and medication-overuse headache
Migraine and tension headache: treatment, prevention and warning signs
Migraine and tension headache in AU general practice — acute treatment, when to prevent, CGRP therapies on PBS, and red flags requiring urgent assessment.
-
Chronic non-cancer pain
Chronic non-cancer pain: the biopsychosocial approach in AU general practice
Chronic non-cancer pain — biopsychosocial management first, opioid avoidance, SafeScript checks, and multidisciplinary care pathways in AU general practice.
-
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy: steroid within 72 hours, protect the eye, watch for stroke
Bell's palsy — how to distinguish it from stroke, why prednisolone timing matters, essential eye care, and the AU general practice pathway for recovery.
-
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vestibular neuritis
Vertigo: BPPV, vestibular neuritis, and when vertigo means stroke
BPPV and vestibular neuritis — Dix-Hallpike diagnosis, Epley canalith repositioning, the HiNTS exam to exclude stroke, and the AU general practice pathway.
-
Neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain: first-line agents and AU prescribing rules
Neuropathic pain in AU general practice — DN4 screening, TCA and duloxetine first-line, PBS Authority for pregabalin, SafeScript, and multidisciplinary care.
-
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease: diagnosis, treatment and GP coordination in Australia
Parkinson's disease — how GPs recognise the cardinal signs, distinguish mimics, coordinate levodopa therapy, and manage non-motor features.
-
Peripheral neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy: assessment and management in Australian general practice
Peripheral neuropathy — causes, GP workup, neuropathic pain pharmacotherapy, diabetic foot care, and when to refer in Australian general practice.
-
Dementia (Alzheimer's disease, vascular, Lewy body, frontotemporal)
Dementia: cognitive assessment, treatment options, and coordinated care in AU
Dementia — cognitive screening, Alzheimer's and other subtypes, cholinesterase inhibitors, the 2025 anti-amyloid drugs, BPSD, and the My Aged Care pathway.
-
Migraine
Migraine: AU general practice in the CGRP era
Migraine — acute treatment, prevention, the CGRP biologics era, AU PBS criteria, and when to escalate to neurology.