neurology
noun | neu·rol·o·gy | \nu̇-ˈrä-lə-jē, nyu̇-\
a branch of medicine devoted especially to the structure, function, and diseases of the nervous system
Neurology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and diseases involving the central and peripheral nervous system and its subdivisions, the autonomic nervous system influencing your internal organs, and the somatic nervous system delaing with voluntary control of body movements. This also includes nerve coverings, blood vessels that serve nerves, and all effector tissues such as muscle. Neurological practice relies heavily on the field of neuroscience, which is the scientific study of the nervous system.
A neurologist is a physician specializing in neurology and trained to investigate, diagnose, and treat neurological disorders. Neurologists may also be involved in clinical research or clinical trials. Neurology is a non-surgical specialty. The corresponding surgical specialty is neurosurgery.
There is significant overlap between the fields of neurology and psychiatry, with the boundary between the two depending heavily on the diagnosis. It is common for some neurological conditions to be treated by both a neurologist and a psychiatrist.
