Patton: death of a soldier. Historical vignette.

General George S. Patton Jr. died as the result of quadriplegia sustained in a car crash in Germany in 1945.

Autonomic failure: observations of a physician-patient.

Here I describe the clinical symptoms of autonomic failure that I began experiencing when I turned 80, a treatment combination that has been remarkably effective, and the recent finding of high titers of antibodies against the ganglionic nicotinic receptor.

Neurosurgical experience with malpractice litigation: an analysis of closed claims against neurosurgeons in New York State, 1999 through 2003.

Object: Neurosurgeons are a high-risk group for allegations of malpractice. To determine the kinds of cases and the neurosurgical practice patterns associated with the highest proportion of litigation, the authors examined the experience over a 5-year period of a major physician-owned and -administered insurance company dealing with this issue, the Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company (MLMIC) of New York. With the MLMIC cases as a basis, the authors also analyzed areas of physician vulnerability and determined the steps neurosurgeons can take to reduce potential litigation.

Irving S. Cooper and the early surgical management of movement disorders. Video history.

Irving S. Cooper was a pioneer in the field of functional neurosurgery. During his very productive and controversial career, he proposed the surgical treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) by ligating the anterior choroidal artery to control tremor and rigidity.

Neurosurgical workforce trends in the United States.

Object: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the US neurosurgery workforce by reviewing journal recruitment advertisements published during the past 10 years.

Methods: The number of available academic and private neurosurgical staff positions was determined based on recruitment advertisements in the Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery for the 10-year period from 1994 to 2003. Advertisements were evaluated for practice venue, subspecialization, and location.