ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Accurate neurological diagnoses are often difficult to make due to the complexity of the neuroanatomy involved. This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of a computer system with easily retrievable anatomical information as a support for arriving at more accurate anatomic diagnoses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Anatomical information from an initial physical examination was programmed into a computer with stored neuroanatomical charts of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. The information generated a graphic display of possible lesions with suggestions for further examination. These suggestions were then followed and further data entered. This data entry generated a new graphic display with reduced lesion possibilities. Iterations were then followed to narrow the possibilities for diagnosis further, until a final anatomical diagnosis was reached. This method was applied to three hypothetical examples and a number of clinical cases. Here we report three clinical cases in which this method was particularly useful in making a diagnosis. RESULTS: Using computer iterations, the system was able to pinpoint one or more presumptive causative lesions in the CNS or PNS based on known neuronal pathways or nuclei. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that suitably used, computer memory, by virtue of its large capacity, accuracy and fast recall, can supplement human memory in reaching accurate anatomical diagnoses of neurological lesions.
