Nervous diseases are diseases that develop as a result of damage to the brain and spinal cord, as well as peripheral nerve trunks and ganglia. Nervous diseases are the subject of study of a specialized field of medical knowledge – neurology. Since the nervous system is a complex apparatus that connects and regulates all organs and systems of the body, neurology closely interacts with other clinical disciplines such as cardiology, gastroenterology, gynecology, ophthalmology, endocrinology, orthopedics, traumatology, speech therapy, etc. The main specialist in the field of nervous diseases is a neurologist.
ND can be genetically determined (Rossolimo-Steinert-Kurschmann myotonia, Friedreich’s ataxia, Wilson’s disease, Pierre-Marie ataxia) or acquired. Congenital malformations of the nervous system (microcephaly, basilar impression, Kimberly anomaly, Chiari anomaly, platybasia, congenital hydrocephalus), in addition to hereditary factors, can lead to unfavorable conditions of intrauterine development of the fetus: hypoxia, radiation, infection (measles, rubella, syphilis, chlamydia, cytomegaly, HIV), toxic effects, the threat of spontaneous termination of pregnancy, eclampsia, Rh conflict, etc. Infectious or traumatic factors affecting the nervous system immediately after the birth of a child (purulent meningitis, asphyxia of a newborn, birth trauma, hemolytic disease) often lead to the development of such nervous diseases as cerebral palsy, childhood epilepsy, oligophrenia.
Acquired ND are often associated with infectious lesions of various parts of the nervous system. As a result of infection, meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, brain abscess, arachnoiditis, multiple encephalomyelitis, ganglioneuritis and other diseases develop. A separate group consists of traumatic etiology: TBI, spinal cord injury, traumatic neuritis. ND that occur in old age are mainly caused by vascular changes (dyscirculatory encephalopathy, TIA, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke), less often by metabolic disorders (Parkinson’s disease). The incidence of oncological nervous diseases remains high. The limited space inside the skull or spinal canal leads to the fact that even benign tumors of this localization (astrocytoma, craniopharyngioma, ganglioneuroma) have a malignant course. In addition, the problematic nature of complete removal of CNS tumors causes their frequent recurrence.
Clinical manifestations directly depend on which part of the nervous system was involved in the pathological process. Thus, nervous diseases with brain damage can be accompanied by headache, dizziness, gait and coordination disorders, speech disorders, hearing and vision loss, paresis and paralysis of a central nature, changes in the psyche. Nervous diseases associated with spinal cord pathology are manifested by motor and sensory disorders below the lesion level. Diseases of the peripheral nervous system (trigeminal neuralgia, facial neuritis, intercostal neuralgia, cervical plexitis, polyneuropathies, radial nerve neuropathy, femoral nerve neuropathy, etc.) are characterized by pain syndrome, sensitivity disorders, muscular atrophy, motor disorders, vegetative and trophic changes in the innervation zone of the affected nerve.
The foundation of instrumental diagnostics traditionally consists of such studies as radiography of the spine, Echo-EG, EEG, REG, electromyography, in children of the 1st year of life – neurosonography. They are replaced by more accurate diagnostic methods: computed tomography, MRI, PET of the brain, ultrasound of the vessels of the head, duplex scanning. And, if REG and echoencephalography, as methods of diagnosing nervous diseases, gradually lose their significance, then EMG and EEG remain indispensable. They make it possible to identify functional changes occurring in many that are not diagnosed by neuroimaging methods. In some nervous diseases, diagnostic search requires lumbar puncture, stereotactic biopsy, puncture of the ventricles of the brain, and other diagnostic operations. Since the nervous system is closely interconnected with other organs and systems of the body, for a more accurate diagnosis of nervous diseases, a neurologist (a pediatric neurologist) often needs consultations from other specialists: an ophthalmologist, an endocrinologist, a cardiologist, an orthopedist, etc.
Treatment as a rule, includes a whole range of measures aimed not only at combating the cause of the disease and its etiopathogenetic mechanisms, but also at maximum recovery of the neurological deficit resulting from the disease. For this purpose, physiotherapy, physical therapy, mechanotherapy, reflexology, manual therapy are widely used in the treatment of nervous diseases. Treatment of aneurysms, tumors, intracerebral hematomas, abscesses and cysts of the brain requires surgical intervention. In some cases, surgical treatment is used for epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Brain surgeries and spinal cord interventions are performed by neurosurgeons. They carry out modern surgical treatment of nervous diseases with the help of minimally invasive microsurgical techniques and under the control of neuroimaging. Methods of functional neurosurgery have been developed that are successfully used for torsion dystonia, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s chorea and other nervous diseases accompanied by muscle tone disorders, tremor or hyperkinesis.
You can learn more about the causes, symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment of individual nervous diseases in the corresponding section of the Medical Directory of Diseases. The Medic Journal website also provides descriptions of the main hardware studies that help diagnose various nervous diseases.
Cramp fasciculation syndrome is short–term involuntary painful contractions of muscles or muscle groups. Clinically, they are mainly manifested by cramps of the calf muscles lasting from several seconds to minutes, occurring at night. Diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical data, results of electromyography, auxiliary laboratory and instrumental tests, differentiation with other nosologies. Muscle relaxants,…
Cauda equina syndrome is a clinical symptom complex that occurs when a bundle of nerve trunks of the terminal spinal cord is affected. The main symptoms are weakness in the lower extremities, sensory disorders in the area of innervation of the affected nerves, pelvic dysfunction by the type of delay. It is diagnosed according to…
Klippel-Feil syndrome is a genetically determined anomaly of the structure of the cervical spine, including a decrease in the number and fusion of vertebrae. It is clinically manifested by a visually detectable shortening of the neck, a low location of the hair growth border on the back of the head, and a restriction of head…
Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare pathology of the central nervous system, occurring with transient periods of sleep and wakefulness disorders. Hypersomnia is characteristic during the attack — the patient sleeps 18 hours a day. Short intervals between sleep are accompanied by a strong feeling of hunger, changes in behavior and psyche. The diagnosis is established…
Carotid sinus syndrome is a decrease in cerebral perfusion that occurs when the sensitivity of the carotid sinus baroreceptors to mechanical stimulation increases. In elderly patients, reflex cardiac arrhythmia and /or vasodilation can lead to a sharp loss of consciousness without previous prodromal symptoms or manifest only dizziness. The diagnosis is confirmed when performing a…
Foreign accent syndrome is a rare phonological disorder in which, as a result of central nervous system damage, the patient’s speech resembles a foreign dialect. Sounds acquire the phonetic coloring of another language, accents and prosodic components change. In general, speech remains semantically and grammatically correct. Diagnostics involves the use of neuroimaging methods, neuropsychological testing,…
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a compression—ischemic lesion of the median nerve in the carpal (carpal) canal. It is manifested by pain, decreased sensitivity and paresthesia in the area of the palmar surface of the I–IV fingers, some weakness and awkwardness when moving the brush, especially when a gripping movement of the thumb is necessary. The…
Locked-in syndrome is a severe neurological disease in which the patient loses the ability to move, talk, express emotions, but he retains consciousness, cognitive functions and sensory perception. The condition occurs as a complication of stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor or degenerative lesion of the ventral bridge area. For diagnostic purposes, neurological status assessment, neuroimaging…
Delayed sleep phase syndrome is a disorder of the circadian rhythm of sleep-wakefulness, in which the main problem is the delay in the time of the basic sleep episode in relation to the light-dark cycle. Clinically, there are problems falling asleep, the inability to wake up in the morning, the need to sleep in the…
Piriformis syndrome is a symptom complex that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed in the sub-piriformis orifice. Clinically characterized by pain of the gluteal-sacral localization and along the affected nerve, sensitivity disorder, peripheral paresis of the foot. In the diagnosis, the main role belongs to specific clinical symptoms, a novocaine test, X-ray, ultrasound, and…
