What is neurology?

What is neurology? What does it deal with? These questions are all interrelated. Neurology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates body activities. It has two major divisions. They are the Central Nervous System- the brain and spinal cord and the Peripheral nervous system which includes all other neural elements, such as eyes, ears, skin, and other sensory receptors. 

What is neurology? It is the branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the nervous system, which include the brain, blood vessels, muscles and nerves. The main areas of neurology are the autonomic, central and peripheral nervous systems. A physician who works in the field of neurology is called a neurologist; a neurosurgeon treats neurological disorders via surgery. 

A doctor who specializes in neurology is called a neurologist. The neurologist treats disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, such as cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke. Demyelinising diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis; headache disorders; infections of the brain and peripheral nervous system.

Movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease.

Neurodegenerative disorders

, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy. Spinal cord disorders. Speech and language disorders. Neurologists do not perform surgery. If one of their patients requires surgery, they refer them to a neurosurgeon.

Some areas of neurology include behavioural neurology, clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy, interventional neurology or pain management. Neurological disorders often differ between infants and young children and adults. Neurological problems in those younger than eighteen years are managed by paediatric neurologists. Disorders that affect the paediatric population include cerebral palsy, complex metabolic diseases, epilepsy, learning disabilities, and nerve and muscle diseases.

A neurologist is trained to diagnose and treat neurological disorders. Neurologists must first determine if a problem exists in the nervous system. The patient’s health history is reviewed followed by a neurological exam which assesses the function of cranial nerves, coordination, mental status, sensation, strength and reflexes. Once a diagnosis is developed, more tests may be warranted to guide treatment.

Neurological disorders are comprised of brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord disorders, diseases that affect the muscles and peripheral nerves and neuromuscular junctions. One major clinical division of neurology is neuro-oncology, which consists of the management of patients with primary brain tumours, metastases and the neurologic complications of cancer. In case you ever feel any of these above symptoms you should visit a neurologist.