Introduction
Neurology is the branch of medicine focused on treatment of disorders in the nervous system. Neurologists can detect and manage diseases of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves and muscles.
Key Concepts
The nervous system is a system that regulates body activities, and is divided into the central and peripheral nervous system. The organs that are part of the central nervous system include the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system is broken into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary motions of skeletal muscles, and includes all organs that run to the spinal cord. The autonomic nervous system responds automatically without voluntary action and regulates many internal body processes. These include blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, metabolism, and the production of body fluids. The autonomic nervous system acts after receiving information about the internal and external environment of the body.
Organs that are part of the nervous system assist the body in communicating with other organs. In order to do this, neurons, which are the building blocks of the nervous system, communicate and signal to each other through electronic signals. These signals jump from the end of one neuron, a synapse, to another by using neurotransmitters.
Diving Deeper
A specific disease in neurology is encephalitis, which is a result of the infection and inflammation of the brain. This causes the brain to swell, and results in headache, seizures, and sensitivity to light. Encephalitis can be infectious or autoimmune. Infection encephalitis is caused by a viral infection. Recently, vaccines for certain viruses such as measles and chickenpox have reduced the rate of encephalitis. However, if one contracts infectious encephalitis, it can be treated through antiviral or antibiotic medications. Moreover, a breathing tube may be necessary if the patient has lost consciousness. Autoimmune encephalitis occurs when one’s own immune cells and antibodies attack the brain. This can be treated with immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves steroids, intravenous antibodies, and the exchange of plasma.
Works Cited
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Overview of the autonomic nervous system—Brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders. (n.d.). Merck Manuals Consumer Version. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/autonomic-nervous-system-disorders/overview-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system
