Neurological Disorders

What is a neurological disorder?

Neurological disorders are conditions that affect how your nervous system functions. This involves your central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.

Your central nervous system includes your brain and spinal cord. Your peripheral nervous system includes all the nerves that branch off of your spinal cord. It further breaks down into your:

• Somatic nervous system: This guides your voluntary movements.
• Autonomic nervous system: This regulates the activities you do without thinking about them (involuntary movements).

Your nervous system regulates everything you do. It helps you breathe, swallow, sleep and move. It allows your heart to beat and your body to age. It assists with processes like digestion. It also coordinates your senses and helps you speak, learn and remember. These are only a few of the many things that your nervous system does.

Neurological disorders cause physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms like pain, confusion, mood changes and/or coordination difficulties. Treatment options are available to help you manage symptoms.

Types of neurological disorders

There are hundreds of neurological disorders that exist. They fall into several categories:

• Neurodegenerative conditions: Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease.
• Neuromuscular conditions: Muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Brain conditions: Epilepsy, migraines and headache disorders, stroke, traumatic brain injury.
• Spine conditions: Spina bifida, spinal cord injury, spinal muscular atrophy.
• Peripheral nerve conditions: Peripheral neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, Bell’s palsy.

You may see neurological disorders grouped into more than one category due to what symptoms they cause.

How common are neurological disorders?

Since there are so many types of neurological disorders, they’re common around the world. Certain neurological disorders happen more frequently than others.

What are the symptoms of neurological disorders?

Common symptoms of neurological disorders include:

• Pain: Headache, back pain, neck pain.
• Muscle movement: Weakness, stiffness, tremor, spasms, paralysis, coordination challenges, falls.
• Sensitivity changes: Numbness, tingling, hypersensitivity to touch and temperature, loss of feeling.
• Changes to your senses: Vision loss, double vision, ringing in your ears, hearing loss, loss of smell and taste, hallucinations, vertigo and loss of balance.
• Sleep problems: Difficulty falling asleep, daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable movements during sleep, loud snoring.
• Consciousness changes: Fainting, seizures, coma.
• Cognitive impairment: Confusion, memory loss, trouble with concentration, learning or processing information, mood changes.
• Speech and language difficulty: Slow speech, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing.
• Trouble breathing with minimal exertion.

Your nervous system coordinates nearly every bodily function, so there’s a wide range of symptoms for neurological disorders. Neurological symptoms vary based on the type and severity. Some conditions affect only one bodily function or part of your body, while others can affect several. Symptoms may come and go, only happen once or progressively get worse over time.

What causes neurological disorders?

Neurological disorders could be caused by:

• Genetic changes.
• Abnormal development of your nervous system (congenital conditions).
• An injury or damage to parts of your nervous system.
• An infection.
• A tumor.
• A stroke.

The cause varies based on the type of neurological disorder. Some neurological disorders have unknown causes.

How is a neurological disorder diagnosed?

A healthcare provider will diagnose a neurological disorder after a neurological examination and testing. During the exam, your provider will assess how your nervous system functions.

Additional testing may be necessary to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms so your provider can make an accurate diagnosis and offer treatment specific to your needs. These tests could include:

• Blood tests.
• EEG (electroencephalogram).
• EMG (electromyography).
• Imaging tests (MRI or CT scan).
• Nerve conduction study.
• Spinal tap (lumbar puncture).
• Sleep study.

How are neurological disorders treated?

Treatment for neurological disorders could include:

• Medications.
• Using assistive devices.
• Physical therapy or occupational therapy.
• Speech therapy.
• Surgery.
• Participating in clinical trials (tests on humans).

Treatments vary widely. Your healthcare provider will help you manage your specific symptoms, since treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Before you begin treatment, your provider will explain the risks and side effects so you can make an informed decision about your health.

Can neurological disorders be prevented?

There isn’t a way to prevent all neurological disorders. You can reduce your risk of injury or damage to your nervous system by taking care of your general health and protecting yourself during activities that pose a risk, like wearing a helmet when playing contact sports, for example.

What’s the outlook for neurological disorders?

A healthcare provider will give you the most up-to-date and accurate information on your outlook specific to your situation. Some neurological disorders have a minimal impact on your routine. Others require around-the-clock care.

Your care team will help you understand what neurological disorder affects you or your loved one and offer advice on what treatment options and next steps are available. If you have any questions, let your provider know.

Living with a neurological condition can be stressful. Sometimes, symptoms are unpredictable, and it can stop you from participating in the things you enjoy with the people you care about. This can have a significant impact on your mental health. Many people find comfort in speaking with a mental health professional to find ways to better manage their emotional well-being in addition to physical symptoms.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Since neurological disorders can affect anyone at any age and the symptoms vary from person to person, reach out to a healthcare provider if something doesn’t feel right.

Many parents reach out to a healthcare provider if their child misses developmental milestones. You might see a provider following an illness or an injury. You might contact a provider if a loved one isn’t behaving like themselves.

Neurological disorders affect each person differently and it’s difficult to predict if, how or when it’ll affect you. Let a provider know right away if you or a loved one experience symptoms of a neurological disorder.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Receiving a neurological disorder diagnosis can be intimidating. Your nervous system regulates all your bodily functions, including your thoughts, memories, feelings and sensations. Each neurological disorder has its own path — it may have a minimal effect on your life or require 24/7 management to ease symptoms and prevent complications.

No matter what situation you face, you don’t have to face it alone. Your care team is available to help you understand how a neurological condition affects your body and what you can do to stay in good health.