ABSTRACT
A thorough understanding of the structure and function of the nervous system is the foundation for clinical neurology. The neurologist’s task is to analyze the history of the illness and the symptoms and signs of the patient, decide whether the problem is in fact neurological, configure the patient’s complaints and the physical findings to establish where in the nervous system the problem is located (localization), and then to ascertain a cause for the disease (etiology). At some stage, laboratory investigations and imaging studies are used to confirm the localization of the disease and to assist in establishing the diagnosis. An appropriate therapeutic plan would then be proposed, and the patient can be advised of the long-term outlook of his or her disease (the prognosis), and its impact on life, family, and employment (psychosocial issues).
