System | Nervous system |
---|---|
Significant diseases | radiculopathy, neuropathy, visual snow, stroke, dementia, seizures and epilepsy, Alzheimer's Disease, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder |
Significant tests | Computed axial tomography, MRI scan, Lumbar puncture |
Specialist | Neurologist |
Occupation | |
---|---|
Names | Physician, Medical Practitioner |
Occupation type
|
Profession |
Activity sectors
|
Medicine |
Description | |
Education required
|
M.D. or D.O. (US), M.B.B.S. (UK), M.B. B.Ch. B.A.O. (Republic of Ireland) |
Neurology (from Greek: νεῦρον, neuron, and the suffix -λογία "study of") is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Neurology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the central and peripheral nervous system (and its subdivisions, the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system); including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue, such as muscle. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, which is the scientific study of the nervous system.
A neurologist is a physician specializing in neurology and trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders. Neurologists may also be involved in clinical research, clinical trials, and basic or translational research. While neurology is a non-surgical specialty, its corresponding surgical specialty is neurosurgery.
There is significant overlap between the fields of neurology and psychiatry, with the boundary between the two disciplines and the conditions they treat being somewhat nebulous.
A large number of neurological disorders have been described as listed. These can affect the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the peripheral nervous system, the autonomic nervous system and the muscular system.