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25-518: The European Brain Council ( EBC ) is a coordinating international health organization founded in 2002. It comprises major organisations in the field of brain research and brain disorders in Europe, and thus its structure involves a network of patients, scientists and doctors, working in partnership with the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. The EBC works with decision making bodies such as

50-461: A cabbage preparation, every day, and based upon the positive outcomes, he inferred that it prevented scurvy, even though he did not know precisely why. It took about another two hundred years to discover the precise etiology; the lack of vitamin C in a sailor's diet. The following are examples of intrinsic factors: An etiological myth, or origin myth, is a myth intended to explain the origins of cult practices, natural phenomena, proper names and

75-505: A condition might first be detected through the presence of abnormalities in mental functioning, and further assessment may indicate an underlying neurological disorder. There are sometimes unclear boundaries in the distinction between disorders treated within neurology, and mental disorders treated within the other medical specialty of psychiatry , or other mental health professions such as clinical psychology . In practice, cases may present as one type, but be assessed as more appropriate to

100-562: A person appears to consciously register neurological stimuli that cannot possibly be coming from the part of the nervous system to which they would normally be attributed, such as phantom pain or synesthesia , or where limbs act without conscious direction, as in alien hand syndrome . Conditions that are classed as mental disorders , learning disabilities , and forms of intellectual disability , are not themselves usually dealt with as neurological disorders. Biological psychiatry seeks to understand mental disorders in terms of their basis in

125-489: Is a myth that has arisen, been told over time or written to explain the origins of various social or natural phenomena. For example, Virgil 's Aeneid is a national myth written to explain and glorify the origins of the Roman Empire . In theology , many religions have creation myths explaining the origins of the world or its relationship to believers. In medicine, the etiology of an illness or condition refers to

150-496: Is an imprecise process. In the past, the etiology of a common sailor's disease, scurvy , was long unknown. When large, ocean-going ships were built, sailors began to put to sea for long periods of time, and often lacked fresh fruit and vegetables. Without knowing the precise cause, Captain James Cook suspected scurvy was caused by the lack of vegetables in the diet. Based on his suspicion, he forced his crew to eat sauerkraut ,

175-660: Is occurring. Generally speaking, a substantial number of neurological disorders may have originated from a previous clinically not recognized viral infection. For example, it is thought that infection with the Hepatitis E virus, which is often initially asymptomatic may provoke neurological disorders, but there are many other examples as well. Numerous examples have been described of neurological disorders that are associated with mutated DNA repair genes (for reviews see ). Inadequate repair of DNA damages can lead directly to cell death and neuron depletion as well as disruptions in

200-462: Is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek word αἰτιολογία ( aitiología ), meaning "giving a reason for" (from αἰτία ( aitía )  'cause' and -λογία ( -logía )  'study of'). More completely, etiology is the study of the causes, origins, or reasons behind the way that things are, or the way they function, or it can refer to

225-513: The Aeneid (published c.  17 BC ), Virgil claims the descent of Augustus Caesar 's Julian clan from the hero Aeneas through his son Ascanius , also called Iulus. The story of Prometheus ' sacrifice trick at Mecone in Hesiod 's Theogony relates how Prometheus tricked Zeus into choosing the bones and fat of the first sacrificial animal rather than the meat to justify why, after

250-859: The European Commission , the European Parliament and the World Health Organization . Brain disorders Interventions for neurological disorders include preventive measures, lifestyle changes , physiotherapy or other therapy , neurorehabilitation , pain management , medication , operations performed by neurosurgeons , or a specific diet. The World Health Organization estimated in 2006 that neurological disorders and their sequelae (direct consequences) affect as many as one billion people worldwide, and identified health inequalities and social stigma / discrimination as major factors contributing to

275-565: The peripheral nervous system and thus overcome or work around injuries to some extents, but it is thought to be rare in the brain and spinal cord. The specific causes of neurological problems vary, but can include genetic disorders , congenital abnormalities or disorders , infections , lifestyle , or environmental health problems such as pollution , malnutrition , brain damage , spinal cord injury , nerve injury , or gluten sensitivity (with or without intestinal damage or digestive symptoms). Metal poisoning, where metals accumulate in

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300-531: The associated disability and their impact. Although the brain and spinal cord are surrounded by tough membranes , enclosed in the bones of the skull and spinal vertebrae , and chemically isolated by the blood–brain barrier , they are very susceptible if compromised. Nerves tend to lie deep under the skin but can still become exposed to damage. Individual neurons , the neural circuits , and nerves into which they form are susceptible to electrochemical and structural disruption. Neuroregeneration may occur in

325-483: The basic processes involved in mental functioning, many of which are brought together in cognitive science . The distinction between neurological and mental disorders can be a matter of some debate, either in regard to specific facts about the cause of a condition or in regard to the general understanding of brain and mind . Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease Etiology Etiology ( / ˌ iː t i ˈ ɒ l ə dʒ i / ; alternatively spelled aetiology or ætiology )

350-573: The body's own immune system ; lysosomal storage diseases such as Niemann–Pick disease can lead to neurological deterioration. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends considering the evaluation of underlying coeliac disease in people with unexplained neurological symptoms, particularly peripheral neuropathy or ataxia . In a substantial minority of cases of neurological symptoms, no neurological cause can be identified using current testing procedures, and such " idiopathic " conditions can invite different theories about what

375-514: The causes themselves. The word is commonly used in medicine (pertaining to causes of disease or illness) and in philosophy , but also in physics , biology , psychology , political science , geography , cosmology , spatial analysis and theology in reference to the causes or origins of various phenomena . In the past, when many physical phenomena were not well understood or when histories were not recorded, myths often arose to provide etiologies. Thus, an etiological myth, or origin myth ,

400-737: The following overlapping categories: Many of the diseases and disorders listed above have neurosurgical treatments available, such as Tourette syndrome , Parkinson's disease , and essential tremor . Neurological disorders in non-human animals are treated by veterinarians . A neurological examination can, to some extent, assess the impact of neurological damage and disease on brain function in terms of behavior , memory , or cognition . Behavioral neurology specializes in this area. In addition, clinical neuropsychology uses neuropsychological assessment to precisely identify and track problems in mental functioning, usually after some sort of brain injury or neurological impairment. Alternatively,

425-409: The frequent studies to determine one or more factors that come together to cause the illness. Relatedly, when disease is widespread, epidemiological studies investigate what associated factors, such as location, sex, exposure to chemicals, and many others, make a population more or less likely to have an illness, condition, or disease, thus helping determine its etiology. Sometimes determining etiology

450-429: The human body and disrupt biological processes, has been reported to induce neurological problems, at least in the case of lead . The neurological problem may start in another body system that interacts with the nervous system. For example, cerebrovascular disease involves brain injury due to problems with the blood vessels ( cardiovascular system ) supplying the brain; autoimmune disorders involve damage caused by

475-492: The like. For example, the name Delphi and its associated deity, Apollon Delphinios , are explained in the Homeric Hymn which tells of how Apollo, in the shape of a dolphin ( delphis ), propelled Cretans over the seas to make them his priests. While Delphi is actually related to the word delphus ("womb"), many etiological myths are similarly based on folk etymology (the term " Amazon ", for example). In

500-670: The nervous system, however. In clinical practice, mental disorders are usually indicated by a mental state examination , or other type of structured interview or questionnaire process. At the present time, neuroimaging (brain scans) alone cannot accurately diagnose a mental disorder or tell the risk of developing one; however, it can be used to rule out other medical conditions such as a brain tumor . In research, neuroimaging and other neurological tests can show correlations between reported and observed mental difficulties and certain aspects of neural function or differences in brain structure. In general, numerous fields intersect to try to understand

525-516: The neurological disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are linked to DNA damage accumulation and DNA repair deficiency. Neurological disorders can be categorized according to the primary location affected, the primary type of dysfunction involved, or the primary type of cause. The broadest division is between central nervous system disorders and peripheral nervous system disorders. The Merck Manual lists brain, spinal cord disorders, and nerve disorders in

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550-548: The onset functional symptoms appear to be causally linked to emotional states or responses to social stress or social contexts, it may be referred to as conversion disorder . On the other hand, dissociation refers to partial or complete disruption of the integration of a person's conscious functioning, such that a person may feel detached from one's emotions, body and/or immediate surroundings. In extreme cases, this may be diagnosed as depersonalization-derealization disorder . There are also conditions viewed as neurological where

575-454: The other. Neuropsychiatry deals with mental disorders arising from specific identified diseases of the nervous system. One area that can be contested is in cases of idiopathic neurological symptoms - conditions where the cause cannot be established. It can be decided in some cases, perhaps by exclusion of any accepted diagnosis , that higher-level brain/mental activity is causing symptoms, referred to as functional symptoms , rather than

600-425: The pattern of epigenetic alterations required for normal neuronal function. Neurons are highly oxygenated cells and as a consequence DNA damage caused by chronic exposure to endogenous reactive oxygen species is a substantial challenge for neurons. Germline mutations deficient in the repair of DNA damages cause neuronal dysfunction and are etiologically linked to many neurological disorders. For example,

625-589: The symptoms originating in the area of the nervous system from which they may appear to originate. Cases involving these symptoms are classified as functional disorders ("functional" in this context is usually contrasted with the old term " organic disease "). For example, in functional neurologic disorder (FND), those affected present with various neurological symptoms such as functional seizures , numbness , paresthesia , and weakness , among others. Such cases may be contentiously interpreted as being "psychological" rather than "neurological." conversion disorder , If

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