Mems and Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery is the branch of medicine that concerns itself with the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system, both centrally and peripherally. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord (Figure 6.1). It is not capable of full regeneration after injury, which is in striking contrast to the peripheral nervous system. The brain and spinal cord are the higher processing centers that regulate and control the peripheral nervous system. The latter is directly responsible for movement, speech, and action. Thus, it is the neurosurgeon’s charge to restore and preserve these functions. The neurosurgeon surgically tackles such entities as head trauma, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, degenerative spine disease, aneurysms, tumors, and congenital malformations of the brain, skull, and spine.