Neurological Disorders: Categories, Causes, and Multidisciplinary Care

Scope

Neurological disorders affect the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves—over 600 recognized conditions.

Major Categories & Examples

• Neurodegenerative: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, Huntington's, frontotemporal dementia.
• Cerebrovascular: Stroke, TIA, vascular dementia, aneurysm, AVM.
• Demyelinating: Multiple sclerosis, NMOSD, MOGAD, ADEM.
• Seizure disorders: Epilepsy (focal, generalized, syndromes).
• Neuromuscular: Neuropathies, myopathies, NMJ disorders (myasthenia), motor neuron disease.
• Headache/facial pain: Migraine, cluster, trigeminal neuralgia.
• Movement disorders: Tremor, dystonia, ataxia, tics, chorea.
• Neurodevelopmental: Autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy.
• Neuropsychiatric: TBI sequelae, functional neurological disorder.
• Infectious/Inflammatory: Meningitis, encephalitis, neurosarcoid, paraneoplastic.
• Neoplastic: Primary (glioma, meningioma) and metastatic CNS tumors.
• Traumatic: TBI, spinal cord injury.

Etiologic Diversity

• Genetic, autoimmune, degenerative, vascular, infectious, toxic, traumatic, metabolic, neoplastic, idiopathic.

Multidisciplinary Management

• Neurologist (diagnosis, medical management).
• Neurosurgeon (surgical indications).
• Rehabilitation: PT, OT, SLP, neuropsychology, physiatry.
• Specialty: Neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-otology, neuro-urology, palliative care.
• Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), symptomatic meds, devices (DBS, VNS, pumps), gene/ASO therapies emerging.

Goal

Maximize function, independence, and quality of life across the disease trajectory.