Dr. Ronald F. Young

The answer is yes, but! Only time and good rehabilitation will determine how much useful function she will recover.

The usual neurologist would not provide care assistance for an autistic child but a specially trained pediatric neurologist might be helpful. You would need to inquire to find a neurologist experienced with autism.

No, you should not see a neurologist for back pain. Start by seeing your,r primary care physician. Most back pain is self-limited and resolves with minor or no specific treatment.

There is no mass means there is no tumor, abscess, blood clot, or other "mass." This is the report of a normal MRI of the brain.

The answer is simply, no.

I suggest that you see a neurosurgeon if you are concerned about your cranioplasty, your skill replacement part.

You should return to your surgeon for follow up and possibly a repeat MRI.

Only a history and physical examination can determine what if any "nerve damage" there might be and recommend how to proceed with tests, if any..

Paralysis during a stroke is most commonly due to a lack of blood supply to the area of the brain that controls movement. The lack of blood supply is usually due to blockage of a blood vessel caused by a clot in an artery. This so-called "ischemic stroke" causes injury to or death of brain cells that control movement. Depending on how long the blockage persists and how serious the damage determines whether the paralysis is temporary or permanent. Early treatment of a stroke may minimize the damage.

To begin with, ALS is not common in teenagers. The first symptom is usually fasciculations, which are tiny, barely perceptible flickerings of muscles. Leg pain, abnormalities in sensation, and "uncomfortable feelings" when speaking are not common symptoms of ALS. I suggest that you have your personal physician carry out an evaluation and possibly refer you to a neurologist for their opinion.

You should see your physician and be checked for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hypotension (low blood pressure) among other things. Anxiety attacks are usually related to underlying psychological issues. You should see a psychiatrist or appropriately qualified psychologist to evaluate your anxiety attacks.

You should be seen by a neurosurgeon to: 1) determine if the spinal stenosis is the cause of your pain, and 2) to determine if surgery would be an option for you and what the risks and benefits of surgery might be. Spinal stenosis results from an overgrowth of degenerated facet joints in the spine due to arthritic aging. Surgical removal or reduction can often provide significant relief.

You should see your doctor and have him take the details of your history and perform an examination. Peripheral Neuropathy does not progress rapidly and rarely extends up as far as the knee and virtually never above the knee. Peripheral Neuropathy is usually described as a stocking and glove kind of numbness. Referral to a neurologist may also be necessary but I recommend starting with your primary care doctor.

You should see your doctor so that he/she can take a complete history and do a neurological examination. The most common cause of such symptoms is a herniated intervertebral disc in your cervical spine. The good news is that most such situations resolve themselves but if muscle weakness, loss of sensation, etc. is found on examination, an MRI may be warranted.

The usual "brain scan" or more specifically an MRI scan will always be normal in a person with a personality disorder. A personality disorder is a functional disorder, not a structural one so the brain scan is normal appearing.

You have asked two important questions. The first one is more easily answered. Although you are correct, that a multilevel cervical laminectomy removes the bony protection to the spinal cord, injury to the cord after laminectomy is extremely rare. In fact, I have never heard of it. Your second question though is more important and more difficult to answer. The main stability of the cervical spine is the intervertebral discs and the facet joints. The lamina and the attached muscles and ligaments provide only a minimal part of the cervical spine's stability BUT if the facets are removed or weakened during the laminectomy procedure then the spine may become unstable and assume a "swan neck" deformity. The most important question, however, that you did not ask is: what is the indication for a multilevel cervical laminectomy? You only mentioned neck pain, but laminectomy is not indicated for only neck pain. Multilevel cervical laminectomy is usually done to treat spinal stenosis with symptoms of spinal cord compression such as leg weakness or spasticity, loss of sensation in the legs, and bladder or bowel problems. It is also sometimes done for multilevel cervical radiculopathy although anterior discectomy with or without fusion is probably a better option for that condition. I suggest that you ask the neurosurgeon who recommended the procedure to answer these questions, and also inquire about the indications for the recommended procedure.

The answer to your question depends upon what you mean by "twitching" and how often it occurs and in what part of your body. Sudden jerks or twitches of an arm or let happen from time to time and are nothing to worry about. Twitches that are brief, localized, slight "fasciculations" as neurologists define them can be a sign of serious neurological problems like ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. I suggest that you ask your family doctor first and if you are not satisfied, seek out the opinion of a neurologist.

Ulnar nerve surgery to correct so-called cubital tunnel syndrome does work. A recent study compared various surgical methods and concluded that simple decompression or opening of the cubital tunnel to decompress the ulnar nerve was the most successful method whether done by a more usual open surgical approach or by an endoscopic approach. It was also associated with the fewest complications.

No, a pinched nerve cannot cause tingling all over the body. Pinched nerves can cause localized tingling in the sensory pattern of that nerve only.

You should ask the surgeon who implanted your device and the recommendations of the manufacturer.