Neurology

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:

• Central Nervous System (CNS) – brain & spinal cord
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) – nerves and ganglia (group of neuron cell bodies) outside the brain and spinal cord; all other neural elements and sensory receptors

Neurology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the CNS and PNS, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue, such as muscles. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, the scientific study of the nervous system. A physician that specializes in neurology is called a neurologist; they treat disorders that affect the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves):

• Cerebrovascular disease, such as stroke
• Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis
• Headache disorder
• 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 (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
• Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy
• Spinal cord disorders
• Speech and language disorders