neurology - Field of work, Educational Requirements, Testing Examinations, Clinical tasks

The branch of medicine which deals with the study of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) and its peripheral nerves, in health (neurophysiology) and disease (neuropathology).

Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Physicians specializing in the field of neurology are called neurologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with neurological disorders. Pediatric neurologists, nearly always a subspecialty of pediatrics, treat neurological disease in children.

Field of work

Neurological disorders are disorders that affect the central nervous system (brain, brainstem and cerebellum), the peripheral nervous system (peripheral nerves - cranial nerves included), or the autonomic nervous system (parts of which are located in both central and peripheral nervous system). Neurologists also diagnose and treat some conditions in the musculoskeletal system.

Major conditions include:

headache disorders such as migraine, cluster headache and tension headache epilepsy and seizure disorders neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and ataxia. cerebrovascular disease, such as transient ischemic attacks, and strokes (ischemic or hemorrhagic) sleep disorders cerebral palsy infections of the brain (encephalitis), brain meninges (meningitis), spinal cord (myelitis) infections of the peripheral nervous system, such as botulism neoplasms - tumors of the brain and its meninges (brain tumors), spinal cord tumors, tumors of the peripheral nerves (neuroma) movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, chorea, hemiballismus, tic disorder, and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis, and of the peripheral nervous system, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) spinal cord disorders - tumors, infections, trauma, malformations (e.g., myelocele, meningomyelocele, tethered cord) disorders of peripheral nerves, muscle (myopathy) and neuromuscular junctions traumatic injuries to the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves altered mental status, encephalopathy, stupor and coma Speech and language disorders

Educational Requirements

A neurologist's educational background and medical training varies with the country of training. Many neurologists also have additional training or interest in one area of neurology such as stroke, epilepsy or movement disorders.

Testing Examinations

During a neurological examination, the neurologist reviews the patient's health history with special attention to the current condition.

Clinical tasks

General caseload

Neurologists are responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of all the above conditions. In some countries, additional legal responsibilities of a neurologist may include making a finding of brain death when it is suspected that a patient is deceased. Neurologists frequently care for people with hereditary (genetic) diseases when the major manifestations are neurological, as is frequently the case. Other neurologists may develop an interest in particular subfields, such as movement disorders, headaches, epilepsy, sleep disorders, multiple sclerosis or neuromuscular diseases.

The core neurological diseases that are the primary domain of neurologists are:

demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. the epilepsies headache and migraine movement disorders polyneuropathies spinal cord disorders genetic diseases with a primarily neurologic manifestation

Overlapping areas

There is some overlap with other specialties, varying from country to country and even within a local geographic area. Acute head trauma is most often treated by neurosurgeons, whereas sequela of head trauma may be treated by neurologists or specialists in rehabilitation medicine. Some cases of nervous system infectious diseases are treated by infectious disease specialists. Similarly, most cases of sciatica and other mechanical radiculopathies are treated by general practitioners, though they may be referred to neurologists or a surgeon (neurosurgeons or orthopedic surgeons). Sleep disorders are also treated by pulmonologists.

Overlap with psychiatry

Although many mental illnesses are believed to be neurological disorders affecting the central nervous system, traditionally they are classified separately, and treated by psychiatrists. As well, 'neurological' diseases often have 'psychiatric' manifestations, such as post-stroke depression, depression and dementia associated with Parkinson's disease, mood and cognitive dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease, to name a few.