Neurology
Brain controls the entire functions of our body. Hence, it can be considered as one of the most vital organs of our body. Neurology is the medical field which centers on diagnosing and treating of brain ailments and syndromes and the nervous system. A doctor who practices neurology is known as a neurologist while a surgeon who conducts a surgical procedure on the brain is known as a neurosurgeon. Neurosurgery is not a medical specialty but rather a surgical field.
The word neurology is derived from a mixture of two words, namely “neuron” and “logia” – meaning “nerve” and “the study of,” respectively.
The brain is said to contain about a hundred billion neurons which have the capability to generate their own impulses as well as receive and transmit impulses from neighboring cells.
Area of Study
Neurology includes the study of:
- The central, the peripheral, and the autonomic nervous system.
- The nervous system’s structural and functional disorders. This ranges from birth deformities to degenerative diseases for example Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Neurology also includes the understanding as well as interpretation of imaging plus electrical studies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans are some of the examples of the imaging studies. A device known as electroencephalogram (EEG) may be used to evaluate the brain’s electrical activity in the diagnosis of disorders like epilepsy.
Diseases which neurologists can treat include:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Amyotropic lateral sclerosis
- Brain tumors
- Brain plus spinal cord injury
- Epilepsy
- Migraine
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Parkinson's disease
- Peripheral nerve disease
- Sleep disorders
- Stroke
- Tremors
Neurology is a medical specialty that will increasingly need specialists since an aging population will have escalating incidences of stroke, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Due to the complexity of the subject, neurology has various subspecialties like headache neurology, geriatric neurology and child neurology as well.