I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
The Toxic-Metabolic-Nutritional Diseases discussed here result in neurological
disorders in which biochemical lesions most clearly produce specific morphological
changes. In some cases, although functional derangements may be quite severe
and may be related to known or presumed biochemical defects, specific morphological
changes have not been described. A case in point is delirium tremens,
a clinical disorder following alcohol withdrawal. While the effects of withdrawal
seem to be specifically related to abnormal limbic system function, there
are no morphological changes specific for this condition. Similarly, water
intoxication and hypocalcemia profoundly affect the function of the nervous
system, but morphological changes are non-specific.