Significance

• Neurological disorders affect the peripheral and central nervous systems. The nervous system consists of the spinal cord, the brain, peripheral nerves, cranial nerves, the autonomic nervous system, nerve roots, muscles, and neuromuscular junction. Neurological disorders that affect one or more of these can result in a loss of quality of life.
  
  Each type of neurological disorder comes with its own designated symptoms, but some symptoms are the same across the spectrum.
  
  

Types

• The different types of neurological disorders include cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, migraines, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
  
  These are just a few of the 600 neurological disorders that have been recognized. Other disorders include Huntington's disease, muscular dystrophy, and spina bifida. Cancers of the brain are also recognized. These are the most common types of neurological disorders.
  
  It is crucial to understand the symptoms of neurological disorders in order to recognize when a person might have become inflicted.
  
  

Symptoms

• There are some basic symptoms that are common amongst all neurological disorders. These symptoms include a loss of balance and coordination, differences in speech patterns, numbness in a single extremity, difficulty moving, tremors, rigid muscles, and difficulty swallowing. There may also be an inability to do tasks such as swinging the arms, blinking, or performing other acts that are normally involuntary.
  
  Eventually, there may be signs of dementia. An individual may have frequent difficulty remembering simple things. As for what causes neurological disorders, there are many circumstances that come into play.
  
  

Causes

• Fortunately, much research is being done to determine the causes of neurological disorders. Very little is known. Injury is one of the few known causes and infection has been tied to neurological disorders as well.
  
  As for what happens within the brain, chemical-producing nerve cells are destroyed. Without these chemicals, the brain is unable to function properly. This may happen as a result of heredity, outside chemical influences, reduced hormone levels in older individuals, or chemical exposure while in the womb.
  
  Research is being done to find what causes the nerve cells to stop functioning properly.
  
  

Potential for Treatment

• As research continues, there are treatment options that have been developed. The treatment that is administered depends on the specific disorder. The specific disorder also determines how effective a treatment may be. Such methods as physical therapy to retain dexterity, and medications that include dopamine agonists, are used.
  
  For some, surgery may also be an option if their physical condition allows for it. In the meantime, medications for neurological disorders are continually being developed and tested. Therefore, the potential for more effective maintenance of these disorders is definitely there.