What is neurology?
Neurology is a medical specialty concerned with the functioning and diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the peripheral nervous system (cranial and limb nerves) and the vegetative/autonomic nervous system. This specialty is particularly broad and treats complex diseases with regard to:
- Consciousness
- Sleep Intellectual functions
- Language
- Behaviour
- Movement control
- Sensory perceptions
- Pain.
Neurologists generally tend to be overspecialised in a specific field: cognitive disorders, sleep disorders, language disorders, migraines, epilepsy, neurovascular, neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-psychiatry, etc.
When to see a neurologist and which disorders are treated?
Although your GP will typically refer you to a neurologist, it is now possible to consult a neurologist directly. The neurologist also treats epilepsy and progressive diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. In case of acute pathology – convulsive seizures, facial paralysis, unconsciousness and strokes – patients may be admitted to emergency neurological units in hospitals.
Which tests does a neurologist perform?
Neurological diagnosis begins with listening carefully to the patient and those close to them about the symptoms displayed and the patient’s history. This first interview helps to guide the clinical examination, an important step in neurological diagnosis, which can determine the further testing to be carried out and how urgent this is:
- MRI
- Scanner
- Electroencephalogram
- Electroneuromyography
- Neuropsychological assessments
- Lumbar puncture
- Etc.
How are patients monitored by a neurologist?
Neurological diagnosis and neurological treatment are constantly evolving with advances in neuroscience and testing accuracy, particularly through imaging. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease to date, treatments have proven effective for other pathologies; for example, thrombolysis during strokes, deep brain neurostimulation for patients with Parkinson’s disease and treatments for multiple sclerosis and migraines.
