Neurology: Treatment, Effects & Risks

Neurology is a specialty of medicine that deals with the human nervous system, its functioning and complex structure. Detecting and treating organic diseases in [[brain]] and spinal cord are the tasks of a specialist in neurology.

What is neurology?

Neurology is a branch of medicine that deals with the human nervous system, how it functions and its complex structure. The name neurology for this part of medicine is derived from the Greek words neuron (nerve) and logia (doctrine). Roughly summarized, it is therefore the “study of nerves“. It is often difficult to distinguish it from psychiatry. Numerous cases of illness occur in both neurology and psychiatry – the transitions are fluid and the two specialties are often highly dependent on each other when it comes to making a diagnosis. However, while psychiatry deals with the mental or psychological causes of a disease, neurology focuses on physical diseases as the cause of the patient’s complaints. In addition to the brain and central nervous system, neurology also focuses on blood vessels, the musculature and their interaction.

Treatments and therapies

Neurology is a wide-ranging field of medicine and encompasses a wide variety of medical conditions. Patients suffering from circulatory disorders, paralysis or multiple sclerosis are referred to a neurologist, as are patients with a herniated disc or severe migraine. Mechanical injuries (caused by car accidents, violence, etc.) that affect the nervous system or brain also fall within the remit of a neurologist or neurosurgeon. However, complaints that are not immediately attributed to neurological diseases for laypersons also fall within this wide-ranging specialty. For example, herniated discs are often the result of pathological nerve root irritation and are treated by a neurologist. Also treated neurologically are degenerative diseases (e.g. dementias), which have both a psychological and a physiological aspect. Here it becomes clear how strongly neurology and psychiatry are intertwined and must work together to successfully treat patients. Surgical treatment of neurological disorders falls within the scope of neurosurgery, which encompasses all operations in the central or peripheral nervous system of the human body. The removal of tumors in the area of the brain or spinal cord makes up a large part of these surgical procedures.

Diagnosis and examination methods

Neurology is a complex and very comprehensive branch of medicine. The diagnostic and examination methods it uses are correspondingly extensive. At the beginning of a neurological examination, there is always the anamnesis, i.e., a detailed discussion with the patient in order to define and localize the present complaints. Since the majority of neurological complaints develop over many years, this diagnostic step is the cornerstone of any successful treatment. In addition to current pain, the focus is also on past illnesses, including complaints in early childhood. The anamnesis is followed by a physical examination. Here, the patient’s motor function and coordination are examined to determine to what extent they may already be impaired. Various tests deal with the patient’s reflexes, sensitivity and muscle function and thus help to approach the origin of the complaints. Laboratory testing of blood or tissue samples will also be done in most cases. Once the cause of the complaints has been narrowed down by history and physical examination, technical procedures are used. One of the older examination methods in neurology is the recording of electrical stimuli in the human body. This is done by brain wave measurements (EEG) or the measurement of nerve conduction velocity (ENG). Further insights into the human body are provided by the use of imaging techniques. For example, ultrasound is used to examine blood-supplying vessels, and computer or magnetic resonance tomographs allow detailed images of the brain or spinal cord. In individual cases, neurology also works with invasive diagnostic procedures, such as angiography.For a long time, neurologists were able to detect various clinical pictures by means of complex diagnostic procedures – but successful treatment was reserved for only a few cases. Thanks to medical progress in recent years, however, it is now possible to cure a large proportion of neurological diseases surgically or with the aid of state-of-the-art drugs, or to influence their course significantly in a positive way.