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Hyponatremia frequently complicates neurologic conditions and can also be a cause of neurologic deterioration. In a review article, Bhardwaj discusses hyponatremia, its neurologic consequences, and the factors that influence whether symptoms will develop in a given patient.
The review includes details of the adaptive mechanisms used by the brain to minimize the impact of changes in osmolality. The pivotal role of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also known as arginine vasopressin (AVP), in water regulation is presented, with a clear, comprehensive discussion of its impact on sodium concentration and osmolality and an explanation of how ADH dysregulation, in the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH (SIADH), can lead to chronic hyponatremia. …