Neuromuscular Disorders: Treatment and Management

There have been great advances in the diagnosis and evaluation
of patients with segmental and generalized neuromuscular
disorders since the first edition of this book. Tests
applied to different types of the disorders are discussed in
the introduction as well as specific chapters.
The management of these diseases have also improvedsignificantly, particularly in cardiac and pulmonary care,
and in the management of autonomic and peripheral neuropathies,
and for this reason these chapters have been expanded.
We have also expanded chapters in orthopedic surgery
and rehabilitation with the use of robotics to manage
patients with chronic weakness.
Immunotherapy has improved greatly with the use ofnew monoclonal antibodies, which increases the armamentarium
of clinicians that take care of autoimmune disorders.
The basic aspects of immunotherapy are covered inChapter 7, but also are detailed chapters dedicated to autoimmune
neuropathies and myopathies, and disorders of
neuromuscular disorders of neuromuscular junction.
The most important development in neuromuscular disordershas been the discovery of pathogenic genes and improved
testing in hereditary conditions, which has allowed
us to diagnose patients even without muscle biopsies, and
this has led to genetic therapies. We have included a new
chapter that introduces the readers to these treatments,
which are also discussed in detail in those chapters dedicated
to hereditary myopathies and neuropathies.
Some topics are discussed in various chapters, causingsome repetition, but the intent is that each reader could
consult individual chapters independently.
These have been very difficult times, because of theCOVID-19 pandemic, which affects more severely patients
with weakening neuromuscular disorders. Medical care has
also been complicated by this, and COVID-19 infections are
associated with neuromuscular conditions that are discussed
in different chapters