Relevant information about Neurology.
Neurology is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of nervous system disorders including the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves.
History of Neurology dates back to the 18th century when scientists first began to study the nerve function. However, Clinical Neurology took a little more time and didn't developed until the mid-19th century. Diseases caused by brain damage, such as epilepsy or aphasia, unknown at the moment, began to be studied. Big information came from studies of animals. This new brain and nervous function knowledge helped understanding functional areas of the brain, that were then mapped for the first time.
Development of neurological science was signed and encouraged by technological developments. In 1920 the invention of the electroencephalograph, made possible to record electrical brain activity and consequently aided in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. Computerized axial tomography was developed in the 1970 and magnetic resonance imaging in 1980. Both inventions permitted detailed non-invasive views of the brain, a breakthrough for neuroscience. Experts predict that the future of this science will be signed by the knowledge of the human genome and proteome.
As neurology deals whit physical disorders, it is the only medical specialty so closely related with the psychiatry. It also has developed essential knowledge about brain chemistry of disorders such as schizophrenia and depression and drugs to treat them combined with psychotherapy.
Neurosurgery
As neurology deals with disorders of the nervous system, neurosurgery is a specialized field of surgery also closely related to medicine, concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of those disorders or injuries to the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves.
A neuroSurgeon is a medical Doctor not only specialized in neurology but also trained to investigate, diagnose and treat all categories of neurological disorders involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue. Generally neuroSurgeons are hardly trained in the surgical and medical management of neurological diseases.
The field of neurosurgery involves sophisticated knowledge about medical surgery, imaging technology, molecular neurosurgery and gene therapy.
NeuroSurgeons distinguish five general categories of neurosurgical diseases: cerebrovascular, traumatic head injury, degeneration diseases of the spine, tumors in the CNS, functional neurosurgery, surgery for congenital abnormalities and neurosurgical management of the CNS.
A variety of neurological disorders have particular surgery, among them:
- Arthrodesis: is the artificial induction of joint ossification between two bones
- Artificial Disc Replacement: after the disc is removed, a device is placed into the intervertebral disc space instead of a bone graft
- Brain Tumor Surgery: try to remove as many tumor cells as possible of the intracranial solid neoplasm
- Kyphoplasty : work to stop the pain caused by the bone fracture and attempts to restore what is fractured
- Laminoplasty: relieve pressure on the spinal cord to treat spinal stenosis
- Laminectomy: remove the portion of the vertebral bone from the spine
- Spinal Decompression: can help get rid of lower back pain
- Spinal Stenosis: may affect the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine, condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves
- Vertebroplasty: medical spinal procedure with the goal of relieving the pain of osteoporotic compression fractures
- Cervical Microforaminotomy
- Coflex Implant for Spinal Stenosis
- Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinsons
- Open Laser Lumbar Microdiscectomy
- Open Laser Thoracic Microdiscectomy
- Radio Frequency Ablation/Rhizotomy
- Segmental Instrumentation
- Spinal Deformity Correction
- Subacromial Decompression
Each surgery requires a physician specialized in that particular disease and has a specific procedure.
Not every disease or suffering associated with the nervous system implies the need of surgery. Concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and all conditions related, in some cases the neurologist will evaluate the need of a surgery. The Patient is then refereed to a neurosurgeon.
Despite good Results neurosurgeon has developed, there are still many risks involved. This kind of interventions include dealing with the brain, spinal cord, vertebral column and peripheral nervous system. A bad surgery can cause paralysis, brain damage, infection, psychosis or even death.
This serious risks makes essential to take all the tests and cares needed before neurosurgeon is performed. Tests include neuroimaging and a comprehensive physical and psychological examination.
The same way neurology has historically benefited greatly from the invention of the electroencephalograph, computerized axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging; neurosurgeon also has benefited by computer assisted imaging computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, magneto encephalography (MEG) and the development of stereo tactic surgery.
The future of neurosurgery is still being dreamed based on the multiple technological and molecular advances. It is field full of opportunities and challenges.
Now a days, new diagnostic techniques are been developed to allow surgeons to perform more complicated surgeries and hopefully reducing the risk involved. The latest innovations include radio surgery using the gamma knife and cyber knife for tumour treatments and endovascular surgery for aneurysms. Scientists dream to make possible to introduce genetic material into nerve cells and to redirect protein synthesis. This procedure would possibly reverse general disease process.
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