ABSTRACT
In the nervous system, it is usually possible to localize the likely pathology by clinical assessment alone, because the different functions are located in different sites connected by well-defined anatomical pathways. Advances in neurological imaging have not reduced the importance of taking a full history and carrying out a thorough examination. Common neurological symptoms include: headache, fits, visual disturbance, weakness, deafness, and loss of balance. Headaches associated with nausea and giddiness are common after a head injury and may not settle for days or weeks. However, increasing headache after a head injury in the elderly or a patient on anticoagulants suggests a chronic subdural collection. Never forget that the headache may be the result of a brain haemorrhage, although most headaches are the result of migraines or tension. Meningiomas arise from meningothelial cells of the arachnoid layer, a membranous layer surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningiomas and pituitary tumours present with gradual painless visual loss.
