A neurologist cannot directly treat depression, they can play an important role in its treatment. A neurologist can help to identify any underlying neurological conditions that may be causing or exacerbating depression.
Depression and anxiety share a close relationship with neurological disorders. That's why you can depend on the neurologists at Complete Neurological Care to offer comprehensive care, including recognizing and treating psychological conditions like depression and anxiety.
Neurologists and psychiatrists both work with conditions and diseases that affect the brain and mind. However, neurologists specialize in physiological illnesses, while psychiatrists specialize in psychological disorders.
It's often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn't capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn't spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals.
Neuroimaging studies reveal that many brain circuits that normally regulate mood are dysregulated in depression. Deep in the brain, the amygdala processes stimuli such as rewards and potential threats. In depression, the amygdala is overactive and responds excessively to negative events.
Major depression occurs at high rates among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the prevalence is high even when compared with other groups with a chronic illness, thus suggesting a specific association based either upon a common pathogenetic mechanism, or on iatro- genic effects.
Conclusion: In this sample, most patients indicated a preference for neurologists to prescribe for anxiety or depression symptoms in the epilepsy clinic. Care models involving neurologist prescribing for anxiety and depression symptoms merit further investigation and potential adoption in clinical practice.
See a neurologist if you or a loved one experience any of the following but have not been diagnosed with a seizure disorder like epilepsy: Violent shaking. Uncontrollable stiffening of the body, especially the arms and legs. Staring spells (the person isn't connecting or responding, or seems to be daydreaming)
What Is the Difference Between Neurologists and Neuropsychologists? In the simplest terms, a neurologist treats the physical component of a nervous system disorder or an injury to the nervous system, and a neuropsychiatrist treats the mental symptoms associated with a nervous system injury or disorder.
A PET scan can compare brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colors, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression.
Thus, seeing a neurologist to address the trauma to the brain would make sense, and seeing a psychiatrist to treat the depression symptoms would also be wise. There are several other conditions and symptoms that might be treated by both doctors, including: Hallucinating. Issues sleeping.
Your doctor may determine a diagnosis of depression based on: Physical exam. Your doctor may do a physical exam and ask questions about your health. In some cases, depression may be linked to an underlying physical health problem.
Loss of volume of the part of the Brain
Results of several MRI scan studies have demonstrated people with depression had a hippocampus volume that was up to 10% lower than people without depression.
Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist is also a medical doctor (MD) who is trained to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders like depression.
A new study suggests, however, that MRI machines do, in fact, manipulate brain activity—and they change the brain in a way that helps treat depression.
When you see the neurologist, they'll talk with you about your medical history and your symptoms. You'll also have a physical exam that focuses on your brain and nerves. The neurologist may check your: Mental status.
Antidepressants are used not only in psychiatric practice, but also in the practice of neurologists. Neurologists prescribe antidepressants to treat depression in neurological patients, chronic pain syndromes and neuropathic pain, panic attacks, eating disorders, premenstrual syndrome and for migraine prevention.
Because several medical conditions mimic depression symptoms, neurologists can help confirm a diagnosis of depression. Symptoms that look similar to depression are common among adults who have substance abuse issues, medication side effects, medical problems, or other mental health conditions.
An anxiety disorder is a type of mental health condition. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may respond to certain things and situations with fear and dread. You may also experience physical signs of anxiety, such as a pounding heart and sweating.
Basal Ganglia and Brain Stem.
Depression leads to changes in autonomic control of the body and changes the autonomic balance in favor of an increased sympathetic tone, which can be detected with fair accuracy with HRV analysis.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Depressed mood. Lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed.