Neurologist

A neurologist is a physician involved in neurology, the treatment of disorders of the nervous system. Neurologists’ task is to provide diagnosis, treatment, and management for patients who suffer from neurological disorders.

The requirement in the United States for a neurologist is to have a medical degree and then complete four years of medical school, a one-year internship, and then three years of specialized training. In addition, many neurologists have also undertaken courses in specific neurological areas such as stroke, epilepsy, headaches, and movement disorders such as multiple sclerosis or neuromuscular disease. In other countries, neurologists tend to have a medical degree and between three to five years of postgraduate training. It is common for many neurologists to have studied psychiatry or have training in psychiatric disorders. There has also been an emerging field with neurologists who deal with patients who suffer from hereditary problems. The American Neurological Association, with its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1875, and in the United Kingdom, the Association of British Neurologists was founded in 1933.

Famous neurologists include Guillaume-Benja-min-Amand Duchenne from France who was the first to describe many nervous and muscular disorders; Pierre Marie whose work led to a greater understanding not only of neurology but also of endocrinology; the French Jean-Martin Charcot who pioneered many techniques; Pierre Janet, another French neurologist, whose work received much publicity in the United States; the American Walter Bradford Cannon who combined neurology with physiology; Austrian Sigmund Freud who was the founder of psychoanalysis; and Sir Roger Bannister, the British athlete who was the first man to run the distance of one mile in less than four minutes. Mention should also be made of Axel M. F. Munthe, the author of The Story of San Michele (1929), who trained as a neurologist under Charcot.