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Neurological diseases occur in children, adults and seniors. These include both headaches and, fortunately, less frequent ailments, such as e.g. Huntington's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. What concerns are particularly worrying and suggest the need to see a neurologist?

Neurological diseasesare encountered relatively often. As proof of the above thesis, we can cite the statistics of the World He alth Organization (WHO), which in 2016 stated that, for example, over 50 million people worldwide suffered from epilepsy, and even 10% of the population struggled with migraine headaches.

Neurological diseases: causes

The causes of neurological diseases are really various pathological processes, both inside and outside the nervous system.

Most neurological diseases are acquired, but some are congenital, and here's an example of a meningeal hernia.

A separate group of neurological diseases aregenetically determined neurological diseases , such as Huntington's disease or spinal muscular atrophy.

Disorders of the immune system can lead to neurological diseases - here, an example can be multiple sclerosis.

Some diseases in the field of neurological interest are caused by abnormalities in blood circulation in the structures of the nervous system - this is the case, for example, in the case of strokes, which may be ischemic - ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic - hemorrhagic stroke.

The cause of neurological diseases are also infections (both bacterial, viral and fungal), poisoning (e.g. with heavy metals), but also various injuries.

Various neoplastic diseases (brain tumors) can also be found within the nervous system - both benign and malignant.

It happens that neurological diseases are caused by the accumulation of some toxic substances in the structures of the nervous system - here, an example can be the accumulation of tau protein deposits in patients with for Alzheimer's disease.

Neurological symptomsmay appear in the course of not only strictly neurological diseases. It is possiblebecause their occurrence in people suffering from ailments from areas of medicine completely different than neurology - here are examples of systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes and hepatic encephalopathy.

The above clearly shows that there are many possible causes of neurological diseases. Despite this, in the case of some of the individuals included in this broad group of individuals, to this day, even after conducting many different studies, it has not been possible to clearly determine what exactly causes their occurrence.

Neurological diseases: symptoms

Ailments resulting from neurological diseases can be exceptionally different - in patients struggling with one of the units included in this group, the following may appear:

  • sensory disturbances (including hypoaesthesia, but also hyperesthesia)
  • coordination disorder
  • aphasia
  • agnosia
  • involuntary movements (such as tremors, chorea or myoclonus)
  • pain
  • muscle weakness
  • paraliż
  • sensory symptoms (e.g. visual disturbances, hearing impairment or loss of taste sensation),
  • memory impairment
  • disturbance of consciousness
  • difficulty concentrating
  • speech disorder
  • dizziness
  • fainting
  • seizures
  • difficulty moving
  • imbalance

It is worth mentioning here that neurological diseases can lead to the occurrence of symptoms in patients, which are usually considered symptoms of mental disorders or diseases. In the course of these units it is possible for the following to appear:

  • delusions
  • hallucinations
  • personality change
  • aggression
  • mood disorders (both lowered, elevated or fluctuating mood)
  • anxiety

Neurological diseases: types

In total, there are about six hundred of all neurological diseases - this group includes such different entities as:

  • infectious diseases of the nervous system (including meningitis, brain abscess or viral encephalitis)
  • neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's)
  • dementia disorders (including the aforementioned Alzheimer's disease, but also frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies)
  • neoplasms of the central nervous system (such as, for example, glioblastoma, meningioma or astrocytoma; remember that both primary and primary neoplasms can develop in the nervous systemits structures may contain metastases of other neoplasms)
  • multiple sclerosis
  • hydrocephalus
  • birth defects (such as spina bifida or spinal hernia)
  • various types of headaches (which are relatively numerous, this group includes migraine, but also cluster headaches, hemicranes or drug-induced headaches)
  • epilepsy
  • diseases related to abnormalities in blood vessels (here you can even mention aneurysms of the brain)
  • neuralgie
  • neuropathies
  • narcolepsy
  • prion diseases - spongif.webporm encephalopathies

It is also worth mentioning here about neuropsychiatric disorders, in the case of which patients may develop both neurological symptoms and various psychiatric ailments. This group includes, among others :

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Tourette's team

Neurological diseases: recognition

Neurological specialists deal with diagnostics and treatment of neurological diseases. If any neurological disease is suspected, the patient's medical history is initially collected, and then a neurological examination is performed.

During this complex survey, among others :

  • individual cranial nerves
  • muscle strength
  • patient coordination

In addition, during a neurological examination, it is also possible to find problems such as involuntary movements, dysfunction of the pupil or weakened tendon reflexes.

As abnormalities observed during a neurological examination may be sufficient to make a diagnosis, it is quite often necessary to extend the diagnosis. Various studies are commissioned by neurologists

Imaging tests (such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) are quite valuable, in which it is possible to visualize both ischemic changes, as well as demyelinating lesions or tumor masses in the brain.

Sometimes important information can be obtained thanks to laboratory tests - in the diagnosis of, for example, infectious diseases of the nervous system, lumbar puncture may be ordered with subsequent examination of the cerebrospinal fluid.

Other tests that can be very important in the diagnosis of nervous system diseases include electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG) andevoked potentials.

Neurological diseases: treatment

In the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, very different methods are used - as well as in their diagnosis.

Rehabilitation is valuable as it can help you recover from a stroke, but also allow patients suffering from spinal muscular atrophy to stay independent for as long as possible.

Pharmacotherapy is used, which may include the use of anticonvulsants by people suffering from epilepsy, the use of immunosuppressants by people with multiple sclerosis or the use of triptans by people suffering from migraine headaches.

Neurologists often cooperate with neurosurgeons - in the case of some neurological diseases, surgical treatment is used (here, for example, resection of central nervous system neoplasms can be mentioned).

There are more and more attempts to use modern methods to treat neurological diseases - one of them is deep brain stimulation, which is used, among others, in in some patients with Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and sometimes even obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Neurological diseases: prognosis

The prognosis of patients suffering from neurological diseases can be very different. Unfortunately, some of these diseases have a progressive course, as it happens, among others, in the case of many dementia disorders, as well as multiple sclerosis or multi-system atrophy.

The prognosis of many patients with neoplasms of the central nervous system is sometimes unfavorable - some of these changes appear in such places that they are inoperable, while others - such as, for example, glioblastoma multiforme - have a very aggressive course and even quickly lead to until the patient's death.

However, some diseases of the nervous system are completely treatable - this is the case with meningitis, for example, while others - such as migraine headaches - sometimes even significantly hinder the functioning of patients, but they do not lead to a reduction in life expectancy .

About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

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Neurology