title: What's in a name? Problems, facts and controversies regarding neurological eponyms.
abstract: The use of eponyms in neurology remains controversial, and important questions have been raised about their appropriateness. Different approaches have been taken, with some eponyms being excluded, others replaced, and new ones being created. An example is Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome, which has been replaced by neurodegeneration with brain iron accuulatium (NBIA). Amiothoplic lateral sclerosys (ALS), for which the eponym is Charcot's disease, has been replaced in the USA by Lou Gehrig's disease. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an eponym that is still the subject of controversy, and various different names are associated with it. Finally,restless legs syndrome (RLS), which was for years known as Ekbom's syndrome, has been rechristened as RLS/Willis-Ekbom syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Hélio A G
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Teive
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Plínio M G
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francisco M B
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Germiniani
authors.affiliation: Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canadá
authors.forename: Renato P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Munhoz
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000266:history; D004850:Eponyms; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000266:history; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D019189:Iron Metabolism Disorders / Q000266:history; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000266:history*; D019150:Neuroaxonal Dystrophies / Q000266:history; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000266:history