Neurology

The neurology program of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Northern Nevada Medical Center includes a highly integrated, collaborative team of neurologists who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions and diseases affecting the nervous system. These specialists provide both one-time evaluation and continuing care for patients with neurologic disease, as well as collaborate with a wide variety of other disciplines to provide comprehensive care.

Neurology is the study and treatment of diseases of the nervous system, including:

• Brain and spinal cord (and their coverings)
• Cranial nerves connected to the eyes, face, ears, nose and throat
• Peripheral nerves which supply the arms and legs
• Muscles throughout the body
• Autonomic nerves which innervate the internal organs

Among the most common conditions that neurologists diagnose and treat are:

• Stroke
• Headache disorders
• Memory disorders and dementia
• Movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease
• Epilepsy and seizure disorders
• Inflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis
• Neuropathy, and muscle diseases

Neurologists at Northern Nevada Medical Center use key diagnostic tools to identify a stroke, its cause, rule out other abnormalities and help determine the risk of recurrence.

These tools include:

• Computed Tomography (CT) — CT scans are a type of noninvasive imaging that allows physicians to visualize the brain.
• Computer Tomography Angiography (CTA) — Similar to a CT scan of the brain, a CTA uses dye injected into the blood to create a three-dimensional image of blood vessels in the neck (carotid) and brain.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) — MRI and MRA use a strong magnetic field to generate two- and three-dimensional images of the brain and neck, like a CT scan, but with more detailed information that can help physicians locate the stroke, its size, and its type, in addition to more precisely access the risk of recurrence.
• Carotid Ultrasonography — This tool uses sound waves that pass through tissue to create images that can show narrowing or clotting in the carotid arteries, and allow physicians to determine how fast blood is flowing through them to the brain.
• Cerebral Angiography — Allows physicians to view detailed images of the blood vessels in the brain and neck. Cerebral angiography is rarely used and only in circumstances when MRI and MRA cannot provide needed information.

If you need a referral to a physician at Northern Nevada Medical Center, call our free physician referral service at 775-356-6662.