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EMR >> EMR Specialty
Neurology
Electronic Medical Records
Neurology
Neurology is
a branch of medicine dealing with the nervous system and its
disorders. Physicians specializing in the field of neurology
are called neurologists. Surgery on the nervous system is
performed by physicians with specialized training -
neurosurgeons, and in some cases, interventional
neuroradiologists.
Neurological disorders are disorders that affect the central
nervous system (brain, brainstem and cerebellum), the
peripheral nervous system (peripheral nerves - cranial
nerves) included), or the autonomic nervous system (parts of
which are located in both central and peripheral nervous
system).
General caseload
Neurologists are responsible for diagnosing and treating all
of the above conditions, except for surgical interventions,
which fall into the responsibility of neurosurgeons, and in
some cases interventional neuroradiologists. In some
countries, additional legal responsibilities of a
neurologist include making a finding of brain death when it
is suspected that a patient is deceased, and filing the
necessary paperwork for issuance of a death certificate.
Neurologists frequently care for people with hereditary
(genetic) disease when the major manifestations are
neurologic, as is frequently the case.
Neurologists may specialize in
neurophysiology, the field responsible for
electroencephalography (EEG), nerve conduction studies (NCS)
and electromyography (EMG) as well as visual evoked
potential (VEP) testing. Others may develop an interest in
particular subfields, such as the movement disorders,
headaches, epilepsy or neuromuscular disease.
Overlap with psychiatry
Although many mental illnesses are believed to be
neurological disorders affecting the central nervous system,
traditionally they are classified separately, and treated by
psychiatrists. In a 2002 review article in the American
Journal of Psychiatry, Professor Joseph B. Martin, Dean of
Harvard Medical School and a neurologist by training, wrote
that 'the separation of the two categories is arbitrary,
often influenced by beliefs rather than proven scientific
observations. And the fact that the brain and mind are one
makes the separation artificial anyway.' (Martin JB. The
integration of neurology, psychiatry and neuroscience in the
21st century. Am J Psychiatry 2002; 159:695-704)
There are strong indications that neuro-chemical mechanisms
play an important role in the development of, for instance,
bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. As well, 'neurological'
diseases often have 'psychiatric' manifestations, such as
post-stroke depression, depression and dementia associated
with Parkinson's disease, mood and cognitive dysfunctions in
Alzheimer's disease, to name a few. Hence, there is no sharp
distinction between neurology and psychiatry on a biological
basis - this distinction has mainly practical reasons and
strong historical roots (such as the dominance of Freud's
psychoanalytic theory in psychiatric thinking in the first
three quarters of the 20th century - which has since then
been largely replaced by the focus on neurosciences - aided
by the tremendous advances in genetics and neuroimaging
recently.)
Source: Wikipedia contributors (2005). Neurology. Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:07, December 26, 2005
from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neurology&oldid=32547216.
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