Neurology, Psychiatric Disorders and Mental health

Pediatric neurology refers to a technical branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and superintendency of neurological conditions in neonates ( infant), infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatric neurologists act as counsels to primary care physicians, who may refer children to the neurologists for specialist care. For children with long- term neurological infirmities, the pediatric neurologist provides regular care and counsel.

Neuromuscular disorders include a wide-range of diseases affecting the peripheral nervous system, which consists of all the motor and sensory nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. Progressive muscle weakness is the predominant condition of these disorders.

Neurocardiology refers to the pathophysiological interplays of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The constant communications between the heart and the brain have proved invaluable to interdisciplinary fields of neurological and cardiac diseases.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial.

The vertebral column, also known as the backbone or spine, is part of the axial skeleton. The vertebral column is the defining characteristic of a vertebrate in which the notochord (a flexible rod of uniform composition) found in all chordates has been replaced by a segmented series of bone: vertebrae separated by intervertebral discs. The vertebral column houses the spinal canal, a cavity that encloses and protects the spinal cord.

Spinal disorders include Dorsalgia refers to back pain. Some other spinal diseases include spinal muscular atrophy, ankylosing spondylitis, lumbar spinal stenosis, spina bifida, spinal tumors, and osteoporosis and cauda equine syndrome.

Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging.

Neuroendocrinology is the branch of biology (specifically of physiology) which studies the interaction between the nervous system and the endocrine system; i.e. how the brain regulates the hormonal activity in the body. Collectively, hormones regulate many physiological processes. Neuroendocrinology is the medical subspecialty that focuses on the interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system. Neuroendocrine disorders interfere with these interactions by causing either too many or too few hormones to be produced.

Clinical neurophysiology is a medical specialty that studies the central and peripheral nervous systems through the recording of bioelectrical activity, whether spontaneous or stimulated. It encompasses both research regarding the pathophysiology along with clinical methods used to diagnose diseases involving both central and peripheral nervous systems. Examinations in the clinical neurophysiology field are not limited to tests conducted in a laboratory. It is thought of as an extension of a neurologic consultation.

Neurology or neuroscience nursing is a specialty focused on preventing and treating conditions related to the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. A neuroscience nurse treats patients with neurological injuries and disorders, including head and spinal trauma from accidents, or illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Neuroimmunology is a field combining neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, and immunology, the study of the immune system. Neuroimmunologists seek to better understand the interactions of these two complex systems during development, homeostasis, and response to injuries.

The most common neurological infections are: Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, which can be caused by either bacteria or virus. Other neurological infections include: Fungal infections, parasitic infections, Prion diseases, Bacterial infections such as Lyme disease, tuberculosis, syphilis, Brain abscess.

Migraine is a common disabling brain disorder. Headache accounts for 4.4% of all consultations in general practice approximately 7% of all medical admissions to hospital and approximately 25% of neurology outpatient consultations. Migraine affects over 20% of people at some point in their lives; epidemiological studies have shown that 4.6% of the population of Western Europe has headache on at least 15 days per month global studies suggest that approximately 2% of the world’s population may have chronic migraine. Chronic migraine imposes a substantial economic burden on society

Cognitive disorders (CDs), also known as neurocognitive disorders (NCDs), are a category of mental health disorders that primarily affect cognitive abilities including learning, memory, perception, and problem solving. Neurocognitive disorders include delirium and mild and major neurocognitive disorder (previously known as dementia). They are defined by deficits in cognitive ability that are acquired (as opposed to developmental), typically represent decline, and may have underlying brain pathology. The DSM-5 defines six key domains of cognitive function: executive function, learning and memory, perceptual-motor function, language, complex attention, and social cognition.

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. Parkinson's symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and behavioural changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue. Both men and women can have Parkinson’s disease. However, the disease affects about 50 per cent more men than women. One clear risk factor for Parkinson's is age. Although most people with Parkinson’s first develop the disease at about age 60, about 5 to 10 per cent of people with Parkinson's have "early-onset" disease, which begins before the age of 50. Early-onset forms of Parkinson's are often, but not always, inherited, and some forms have been linked to specific gene mutations.

Seizures, abnormal movements or behaviour due to unusual electrical activity in the brain, are a symptom of epilepsy. But not all people who appear to have seizures have epilepsy, a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. On (called pseudo seizures) are not accompanied by abnormal electrical activity in the brain and may be caused by psychological issues or stress. However, non-epileptic seizures look like true seizures, which make diagnosis more difficult. Normal EEG readings and lack of response to epileptic drugs are two clues they are not true epileptic seizures. These types of seizure may be treated with psychotherapy and psychiatric medications.

Neurosurgery or Neurological surgery, commonly known as neurosurgery, is a specialist involved in  the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders that affect any part of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, central and peripheral nervous systems, Cerebrovascular system.  The most important advances in neurosurgery are the result of highly skilled tools. Modern neurosurgery tools or instruments include fleas, curettes, dissectors, distractors, elevators, forceps, hooks, probes, suction tubes, power tools, and robots. Most of these modern tools have been used in medical practice for a relatively long time. The main difference between these tools in neurosurgery was the accuracy with which they were made. These tools are manufactured with edges within 1 mm of the required accuracy. Other tools such as handheld power saws and robots have only recently become commonly used in neurosurgery rooms. As an example, the University of Utah has developed a computer-aided design / computer-aided manufacturing (CADCAM) device that uses an image guidance system to define the cutting tool path for a robotic cranial drill.