What are Neurosciences and differences with Neurology

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Jonah Lester
What are Neurosciences and differences with Neurology

The term Neuroscience refers to the scientific study of the nervous system. The word is derived from a combination of the words "neuro", which means "nerve" and "science".

Contents

  • What does Neuroscience study?
  • Neuroscientists' field of work
  • Differences between Neuroscience and Neurology
  • The importance of Neurosciences

What does Neuroscience study?

Neuroscience studies all the scientific aspects of the nervous system, including molecular, cellular, functional and structural elements, as well as evolutionary, medical and computational aspects. Some examples of the main areas of study are:

  • Neuronal signaling and axonal connectivity patterns
  • Neural development and its biological function
  • The formation of the neural circuit and the functional role in reflexes, sense, memory, learning and emotional response
  • Psychological functions related to neural circuits
  • Brain imaging for disease diagnosis

Neuroscientists' field of work

Thus, neuroscientists explore all elements of the nervous system to understand how it is structured, how it works, how it is formed, how it malfunctions and how it can be altered..

The nervous system is a set of interconnected neurons that communicate with each other and with other cells through specialized synaptic junctions thanks to filaments called axons that transmit signals to distant parts of the body, influencing the neuronal, muscular and glandular activity of the cells. end points.

Neuroscientists are basic science researchers, usually holding a doctoral degree in neuroscience or a related field.

They often contribute to the understanding of the genetic basis of many neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and identify strategies for its prevention, improvement or cure. Neuroscientists may also be involved in research on mental disorders such as schizophrenia or behavioral disorders..

Differences between Neuroscience and Neurology

Neuroscience is the discipline that studies at a scientific level the mechanics of the nervous system such as its structure, function, genetics and physiology, as well as the way in which this can be applied to understand diseases of the nervous system.

Neurology is an area of ​​medicine that focuses on disorders and diseases of the nervous system. Neurology involves the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems..

Neuroscientists are basic scientists who may or may not have a medical degree. Most of them, however, are doctorates in neuroscience.

Neurologists are medical graduates who have specialized in neurology through relevant specialist studies and practices. They treat neurological diseases of all kinds, such as Alzheimer's, strokes, epilepsy and many more. Neurologists can also specialize in surgery and become neurosurgeons..

The importance of Neurosciences

More than 1,000 brain and nervous system disorders have been described that lead to more hospitalizations and loss of productivity than any other group of diseases, including heart disease and cancer..

In 2007, the World Health Organization estimated that neurological disorders affect one billion people worldwide. In fact, neurological diseases account for 11% of the burden of disease in the world, not including mental health disorders and addictions..

The cost of these diseases is really high all over the world. For example, the European Brain Council estimated in 2010 that neurological diseases in Europe cost a trillion dollars a year..

For example, in 2005 studies showed that neurological diseases affect more than 50 million Americans each year and cost more than 500 billion dollars to treat. On the other hand, mental disorders affect 44 million American adults a year, at a cost of 148 billion dollars..

Advances in research could reduce these costs. Finding out how to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease could save a lot of money on more complex treatment and care. Considering the aging of many populations around the world, the social impact of Alzheimer's disease is many times greater than the financial resources it takes to cure.

All of these estimates are low or unrealistic due to the lack of statistics and treatment in developing countries. As nations have more and more access to health care, the number of patients requiring treatment will increase, and the need for research to understand and treat diseases effectively will become more and more necessary..


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