Neurology is a medical specialty that focusses on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves). The nervous system controls all other body organs and systems.
What do Neurologists do?
Neurologists routinely perform:
- Examinations to assess muscle strength, reflexes, and coordination, sensation, speech, memory, and cognition
- Diagnostic procedures such as electromyography (assess muscles), nerve conduction studies (assess nerves), lumbar puncture (study spinal fluid for infection, cancer, bleeding or inflammation), electroencephalography (study of the electrical activity of the brain), neurosonography (ultrasound of the nervous system), in addition to CT, MRI, and PET scans.
They may be trained in the management of neurodevelopmental disorders, autonomic disorders, neurophysiology, child neurology, geriatric neurology, neuro-oncology, headaches and pain medicine.
What are the neurological conditions treated?
Neurological conditions include infections of the nervous system (meningitis and encephalitis), seizure disorders (epilepsy), headaches (migraines) and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease). Their goal is to properly diagnose and treat neurological conditions to relieve symptoms produced by these conditions including pain, problems with coordination, muscle weakness and loss of sensation.
