Neurosurgery

As a career:

• Surgical specialty that involves the surgical management and rehabilitation of any disorder affecting the brain, spinal cord, and any involved nerves and vasculature.
• Education includes an undergraduated degree, four years of graduate school at medical school to obtain and M.D. or D.O. degree, a specialty residency program usually lasting seven years, sometimes followed by a three year fellowship
• Pay is at the top of all physicians and surgeons with an annual income of about $660,664

Common conditions treated:

• malformations, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, any head trauma including skull fractures, infections, tumors, aneurysms, stroke, epilepsy, cancer, congenital malformations, psychiatric disorders, movement disorders, carpal tunnel, carotid artery stenosis

Risks involved:

• Paralysis, brain damage, infection, psychosis, death
• Generally, before any surgery is performed, tests are conducted via CAT, MRI, PET imaging systems

Here is a CAT scan of a brain tumor, which is apparent in the upper right region of the image:

The Hippocampus

The hippocampus is located in the temporal lobe and is part of the limbic system. One of its major roles includes intercepting olfactory stimuli, and therefore playing a part in smell related memories. Memory is predominantly linked to the hippocampus, so this part of the brain is fully functioning when learning is taking place. There is also a theory that the hippocampus plays a role in spatial organization and navigation. Since this area of the brain is heavily linked with memory, it has been found that as diseases like Alzheimer’s progresses, the hippocampus deteriorates. The hippocampus can also be damaged by insufficient oxygen and epilepsy. Severe damage of this region commonly results in amnesia. The most common symptoms of hippocampal damage are hyperactivity and memory loss.

The Spinal Cord

In the image above, you can see the entire spinal cord of the human body leading up to the base of the brain at the brainstem. Through the nerves in the spinal cord, the brain receives all of its nutrition and sensory information from the central nervous system.

One of the most important parts of the spinal cord and brainstem is the reticular formation. The reticular formation is a group of neural networks that functions in maintaining sleeping cycles, cardiovascular activity, pain, certain motor control, and habituation. Damage to the spinal cord will usually result in paralysis.

Congenital Brain Defects

Congenital disorders involve the developing fetus. The human brain starts developing shortly after conception. Growth, formation, and migrating nerve cells and neurons all contribute to the development of the brain and the surrounding regions. Any interruption of this rapid process can lead to brain malformation. The causes of these interruptions can be inherited genetics, spontaneous mutations, and teratogens (any outside substance that is harmful to a developing fetus).

Here is a video about an infant with congenital defects. Preventing these disorders mainly include good maternal nutrition and absention of drugs and alcohol.

Brain Diseases: A Cerebral Hemorrhage

A hemorrhage, also called a stroke, is when the brain tissue itself bleeds out. It accounts for 20% of all brain diseases and is two times as prevalent in black patients. A hemorrhage is a serious medical condition as it gradually increases pressure inside the cranium:


In this picture, the arrow is pointing to the area of the cerebral hemorrhage. The brain tissue starts to bleed due to either head trauma or spontaneously from high blood pressure. If the condition is left untreated, it can lead to a coma or death. To learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatments, read about what WebMD says about brain hemorrhages.

Brain Aneurysm

A brain aneurysm happens when the walls of the arteries in the base of the brain become weak and expand and rupture:



In the image above, you can see the artery that the condition is affecting. Medical attention is needed for all three types of the condition, but statistics show that more than half of people who have a ruptured aneurism will die before they even reach the hospital.

The causes of the condition are usually high blood pressure or head trauma. Here is a story of a man who survived a deadly brain aneurism.

Hey! I'm Talking To You!

Believe it or not, your brain controls the words that come out of your mouth and it processes everything that you hear. Here are the two areas of the brain that are related to language and speech perception:



Broca's area - Linked to speech production; maintains language output. Damage can lead to Broca's Aphasia.

Wernicke's area - Involved in the understanding of written and spoken language. Damage can lead to Wernicke's Aphasia.