Neuroscience deals with the structure, function and disorders of nerves. These are thereby considered from a medical, biological as well as psychological point of view. In addition to the individual elements, the focus is primarily on complex nervous systems and the cooperation of the structures as well as complaints resulting from diseases.
What are the neurosciences?
Neuroscience deals with the structure, function and disorders of nerves. In the scientific spectrum, experts deal with the structure and function of nerves in all situations. On the one hand, the individual system components and neurons are considered; on the other hand, neuroscience provides a macrological overview. Glial cells are usually of particular interest. In general, however, neuroscientists want to analyze the interconnectedness of nerves and their function. For example, they are interested in studying the central nervous system in vertebrates. Furthermore, they are concerned with diseases that fall into the field of neurology. Neuroscience is differentiated into different directions. One of them is, for example, brain research, which examines the structure and performance of the brain in humans and monkeys. On the one hand, basic research is carried out, and on the other hand, it is concerned with determining the causes of certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and epilepsy. Thus, neuroscience deals with various ailments of the nervous system and, in addition to diagnosis, also aims to cure the diseases. Another important sub-issue is the perception of information from the environment, for example in the form of sensory impressions, as well as the emergence of emotional reactions.
Treatments and therapies
Neuroscience thus comes into play in diseases that affect the nervous system. These involve Alzheimer’s disease, for example. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the degenerative diseases that occur later in life due to the wear and tear of physical structures. In addition, Alzheimer’s can be counted in the category of dementia. Affected individuals suffer from memory loss and changes in individual personality. The exact formation of Alzheimer’s has not yet been fully researched and is therefore the focus of neuroscientific experiments. However, computer tomographies reveal a deposition of specific proteins. These can often be detected years before the onset of the first symptoms in the brain of the affected person. Presumably, the proteins impede communication between the nerve cells, resulting in the typical Alzheimer’s symptoms. Here, neuroscience is interested in further research into causes and treatment. Another disease that is in the focus of neuroscience is epilepsy. In addition to hereditary components and metabolic disorders, the episodes are caused by brain damage, among other things. Especially in such a case, neuroscience comes into play. Ultimately, the symptoms result from a disturbance of the nerve cells, as a result of which there is a pathological discharge. Which symptoms become noticeable and how intense they are depends, for example, on the exact location of the discharge and whether it occurs on one side of the brain or both. Another important area of neuroscience is brain tumors and head injuries. The tumor can be benign or malignant and can cause a variety of symptoms, including headaches, vomiting, and a change in personality. Headaches are perceived as distressing by most people. Most frequently, the complaints occur in the context of migraine. This in turn is of interest to neuroscientists. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms such as altered vision may become apparent in addition to headaches.
Diagnosis and examination methods
Neuroscience uses a variety of methods to find the cause of a condition or to treat specific complaints. Research is differentiated into noninvasive and invasive methods. Noninvasive methods are measures in the research framework of which the patient does not suffer any harm. Invasive research is conducted almost exclusively through studies of patients who have naturally contracted the disease. In the framework of psychophysics, the basic capabilities of a nervous system are to be assessed.In the case of anatomical diseases, the brain of a diseased person is often compared with a healthy brain. Through such a comparison, scientists can draw conclusions about its function based on the damaged areas. Such an examination takes place in a lesion study. However, this can only be completed when the patient has died and the damage can be precisely localized. Due to technical progress, such a lesion study has become less important. Nowadays, for example, the work of the brain can be traced by means of an EEG. The basis here is the measurement of electronic currents resulting from the function of the nerve cells in the form of an electric field. In this way, insights into the brain’s processing can be gained. Computer tomography enables the precise localization of any damage without the need to open the brain. Computed tomography in particular has revolutionized neuroscience. Technological progress provides new insights because the equipment makes it possible to examine the brain immediately after the onset of symptoms or an accident. Lesions can be made visible spatially, but information about nerve cells cannot be gathered on the basis of such an examination. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is one of the few invasive procedures used in humans. Electronic currents are used to temporarily disable specific regions of the brain in order to study the sequence of neurological steps. So far, experts do not expect any permanent damage to the patient. Otherwise, such research on living humans would have no legal basis.
