Concept in Definition ABC

The neurology is the branch of medicine in charge of study of nervous system. It is a very complex area of ​​knowledge since it is the main system in charge of controlling the functioning of the other systems, in addition to the activities related to the processing of the information and the relationship with the environment.

Neurology encompasses the study of the functioning of the nervous system, as well as the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the various diseases that affect it in both adults and children. kids.

The specialist in neurology is the neurologist. It is generally an area that constitutes a subspecialty of the internal Medicine.

Main conditions under study in neurology

Disorders vascular The most common neurological problems are related to alterations of the cerebral blood vessels. These include disorders such as migraine, a major and common cause of headaches, as well as strokes that can be due to the lack of oxygen supply to neurons due to obstruction or rupture of the arteries located within the skull.

Epilepsy. Epilepsy and other types of seizures are disorders in which specific areas of the brain are abnormally activated, producing manifestations that mainly include the appearance of involuntary movements that may or may not be accompanied by alterations in the state from conscience.

Infections Nervous system infections are serious disorders, as they may cause permanent damage. These types of infections are known as meningitis when they affect the membranes that cover the nervous system, meningoencephalitis when in addition involve structures such as the brain, cerebellum and brainstem, myelitis when they concern the spinal cord, and abscess when it comes to collections of pus.

Loss of mobility Loss in the ability to carry out movements is a problem that can be due to disorders such as the appearance of degenerative diseases, mainly multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or it may be a sequel to a stroke or injury traumatic.

Tumors Nerve cells can also be affected by abnormal growth leading to the development of malignant lesions such as cancer.

Main tools of neurology

Neurology is one of the medical specialties where the clinical examination of the patient has the greatest value. A good physical examination is sufficient to make the diagnosis, thanks to the wealth of symptoms and manifestations that accompany diseases of the nervous system.

Once the symptoms are oriented, it is possible to confirm the suspicions by carrying out a series of studies that allow evaluating both the anatomy and the function of the nervous system. These studies include:

Electroencephalogram. It's a record of brain electrical activity. It is used for the diagnosis of seizures and epilepsies.

Electromyography. This study allows to evaluate the function of the peripheral nerves.

Tomography. Tomographs allow images of deep structures to be obtained, they are very useful to evaluate the bones of the skull and the presence of injuries such as fractures.

Magnetic resonance. This is perhaps the most widely used study in neurology, it allows obtaining detailed images of the structures of the nervous system with that the presence of tissue damage from strokes, as well as infections, tumors, and hernias can be better assessed discs.

Topics in Neurology