Neurology
Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and disorders affecting it. Medical specialists in neurology are called neurologists. Surgical operations on the nervous system are done by specialist neurosurgeons.
Neurological disorders are disorders of the central nervous system (brain, brainstem and cerebellum), the peripheral nervous system (peripheral nerves, including cranial nerves), or the autonomic nervous system (parts of which are located in both central and peripheral nervous system). Major conditions include:
- headache disorders such as migraine and tension type headache
- episodic conditions such as seizures and the epilepsies
- neurodegenerative disorders, the most common of which is dementia including Alzheimer's disease
- cerebrovascular disease, such as transient ischemic attack, and strokes
- sleep disorders
- cerebral palsy
- infections of the central nervous system (encephalitis), brain coverings (meningitis) and peripheral nerves such as herpes
- neoplasms
- movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease
- demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis
- spinal cord disorders, and
- disorders of peripheral nerves, muscle and neuromuscular junctions.
- stupor and coma has a variety of causes
Neurologists diagnose and treat all of the above disorders. In some jurisdictions, additional legal responsibilities of a neurologist include making a finding of brain death when it is suspected that a patient is deceased, and filling out the paperwork to ensure issuance of a death certificate for the patient.
Many mental illnesses are believed to be neurological disorders of the central nervous system, but they are classified separately. They are not traditionally listed as neurological diseases because their causes are not definitely determined as biological, although there are good reasons to suspect that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have neuro-chemical causes. The distinction between neurology and psychiatry also has historical roots.
External links
- http://www.aan.com American Academy of Neurology.
- http://www.neuropsychological.blogspot.com/ brainblog: news about our knowledge of the brain and behavior.
See also
| Health science – Medicine |
| Anesthesiology – Dermatology – Emergency Medicine – General practice – Intensive care medicine – Internal medicine – Neurology – Obstetrics & Gynecology – Pediatrics – Podiatry – Public Health & Occupational Medicine – Psychiatry – Radiology – Surgery |
| Branches of Internal medicine |
| Cardiology – Endocrinology – Gastroenterology – Hematology – Infectious diseases – Nephrology – Oncology – Pulmonology – Rheumatology |
| Branches of Surgery |
| General surgery – Cardiothoracic surgery – Neurosurgery – Ophthalmology – Orthopedic surgery – Otolaryngology (ENT) – Plastic surgery – Podiatric surgery – Urology – Vascular surgery |
Categories: Medical specialties | Neurology