NEUREX: a tutorial expert system for the diagnosis of neurogenic diseases of the lower limbs.

Abstract

Specialist tutors have to transfer two types of knowledge to doctors who are specialising in a particular clinic: public declarative knowledge, including facts, notions, principles in that particular field; and their own private procedural knowledge acquired in years of direct experience. Embodying this knowledge into an expert system means that this information can be shared more rapidly, and tutoring is easier. This paper presents a tutorial expert system for neurological clinics which can emulate the diagnostic process of an expert neurologist for neurogenic diseases of the lower limbs, assist users in planning the optimal sequence of NG and EMG tests, interpret the results of these tests, and help users to achieve the most suitable diagnosis.