The Role of Palliative Care in Patients with Neurological Diseases

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Neurol

Specialty Neurology

Date 2013 Apr 3

PMID 23545633

Citations 14

Authors

Gian Domenico Borasio

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families affected by life-threatening illness. This approach applies to a large and growing proportion of neurological disorders, most prominently stroke and dementia. Challenges in the palliative care of patients with incurable neurological diseases include the broad spectrum of the rate of symptom progression, a lack of reliable prognostic markers, scarcity of evidence for efficacy of symptomatic treatments, and a high prevalence of difficulties with communication, cognitive impairment and behavioural disturbances. A genuinely multidisciplinary approach to neurological palliative care is, therefore, required. However, palliative care is not an integral part of neurological training in most countries. This Perspectives article aims to underscore the importance of integrating palliative care into daily clinical practice. The basic principles and challenges of neurological palliative care are also outlined in the light of relevant literature.

Citing Articles

Specialist Palliative Care and Dementia: Staff Challenges and Learning Needs.

Currie S, Curtin C, Timmons S J Palliat Care. 2023; 38(3):282-294.

PMID: 37340793 PMC: 10350715. DOI: 10.1177/08258597231180966.

Neurological update: the palliative care landscape for atypical parkinsonian syndromes.

OShea N, Lyons S, Higgins S, ODowd S J Neurol. 2023; 270(4):2333-2341.

PMID: 36688987 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11574-9.

The First Neuropalliative Care Unit in Germany-Characteristics of Patients.

Willert A, Meyerling J, Ploner C, Kowski A Brain Sci. 2022; 12(11).

PMID: 36358424 PMC: 9688298. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111498.

Palliative care and neurology: a path to neuropalliativism.

da Silveira M, Forte D Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2022; 80(5 Suppl 1):328-335.

PMID: 35976309 PMC: 9491435. DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2022-S119.

End-of-life care of people with long-term neurological conditions.

Nair K, Lee M, Hobson E, Oliver D, Husbands E Pract Neurol. 2022; .

PMID: 35835551 PMC: 9554026. DOI: 10.1136/practneurol-2022-003361.

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