Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
Definition
Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness, numbness, and sometimes paralysis. The exact cause of GBS is unknown, but it often occurs after a viral or bacterial infection.
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Neurology
Yale’s Department of Neurology has been at the forefront of cutting-edge clinical care and scientific discovery since it began in 1952. It was Yale scientists who discovered the genes that cause Multiple Sclerosis. Yale housed one of the first epilepsy monitoring units in the country, and one of the first stroke centers at its partner, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Center in West Haven. Today, our team of experienced doctors are committed to understanding and treating the entire spectrum of nervous system diseases. Expert physicians specialize in brain and nerve health for both children and adults. Specialized care is offered in the following areas: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis, peripheral neuropathy, neuromuscular disorders Alzheimer’s disease/cognitive disorders Epilepsy and neurophysiology General neurology, headache, pain Multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology Neurodegenerative disorders Neurocritical care Neurological infections Neuro-oncology Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders Stroke and vascular neurologyNeuromuscular Medicine
We are dedicated to delivering expert primary and referral services for all disorders of the peripheral nerves and muscles. Our program is supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). As a tertiary referral site for complex neuromuscular conditions, we serve as consultants to general neurologists, internists, and many other specialists. We specialize in: ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease) Myasthenia Gravis Myopathy (including polymyositis, dermatomyositis, inclusion body myositis) Neuropathy (CIDP, CMT and other inherited neuropathies, Guillain-Barré, diabetic neuropathy) Muscular Dystrophy (including FSH, Duchene, Becker, Limb-Girdle, Myotonic, Oculopharyngeal) Stiff-Person Syndrome and related disorders Our neurologists have advanced training in neuromuscular disease and electromyography (assessing electrical activity in muscle). They have specialized knowledge in the science, clinical evaluation, or clinical management of disorders that affect cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems, muscles, and the junction between them. They offer greater expertise in the origin, mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of these disorders than general neurologists. Our electromyographers have expertise in assessing electrical activity in muscle and nerve conduction studies. We are one of the few programs in the Northeast with several electromyographers, who are expert in a specialized technique called single fiber EMG to test for myasthenia gravis. Our neuromuscular group works together as a team that includes medical assistants, clinical nurse coordinators, an MDA coordinator, resident staff, fellows, and attending physicians. Please bring the following items: A copy of your medical records pertaining to your condition, which should include MRIs, nerve conduction studies, and other testing and/or imaging available A current list of all medications and any allergies to medications Name and address of your primary care physician and any other specialists Your first visit will entail a comprehensive evaluation, and you will be asked for a detailed history of your condition. We will complete a thorough neurological examination, after which we will develop a plan of care. We will inform you if additional testing is needed, make recommendations regarding adjustments to current treatment regimens, or refer you to other physicians or consultants. The term EMG is often used to refer to both electromyography and nerve conduction studies. Electromyography is the technique of assessing the health of muscles. Nerve conduction studies assess the health of nerves. Together these techniques are used to investigate and diagnose the entire spectrum of neuromuscular disorders. Our electomyographers use the latest EMG equipment to perform all available specialized EMG techniques, including Quantitative EMG, Blink Reflex, Single Fiber EMG, and others. We use a specialized type of nerve conduction study, called the JollyPrimary Care Neurology and Headache Medicine
We evaluate and treat all neurological conditions, and make sure patients are seen by appropriate subspecialists within the Department of Neurology to provide the best possible care. The Yale Headache and Facial Pain Center specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of headaches and facial pain in adolescents and adults. The Lumbar Puncture Clinic provides analysis to physicians for conditions related to spinal fluid abnormalities. We perform routine testing of cerebral spinal fluid, as well as more specialized testing for demyelinating disease, neoplasms, inflammatory conditions, and infections. We also provide large-volume spinal taps for the diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus. The Neurology Urgent Access Clinic provides expedited evaluation of patients seen in the emergency room as well as those referred from physicians requiring an urgent assessment.