Brain and Neurological Conditions

 

Imagine being unable to speak, unable to move your limbs at will or having difficulty recognizing close relatives. These are some of the effects of diseases that attack the nervous system, such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis, and they can be frightening to comprehend.

At the University of Michigan, our treatment of diseases involving the brain, spine, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves - uses a multidisciplinary team approach. Primarily made up of the country’s leading neurologists and neurosurgeons, the U-M Neurosciences group works closely with neuroanesthesiologists, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists and radiologists.

We treat both medically and surgically the following diseases, disorders and conditions:

• Acoustic Neuroma
• Aneurysms and cerebrovascular disease (disorders of the brain that include the cerebral blood vessels
• Balance Disorders (ataxia, gait disorders, multiple system atrophy, supranuclear palsy)
• Brain tumors  
• Concussion and neurological injuries in competitive athletes
• Cognitive Disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, brain imaging, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, dementia, memory and thinking)
• Cranial skull base tumors
• Degenerative disc disease
• Dizziness
• Epilepsy
• Head and spinal cord injury
• Motor Neuron Disease/ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
• Movement Disorders (Parkinson's Disease, Dystonia, Tremor)
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Neurogenetic Disorders (Fabray Disease, Gaucher Disease, Lateral Sclerosis, Neurofibromatosis, Niemann-Pick Diseases, Spastic Paraplegia)
• Neuromuscular (diabetic polyneuropathy, electromyography, hereditary neuropathy, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis)
• Neuro-Ophthalmology (disorders of the optic nerve and its connections to the brain)
• Neuropathy
• Peripheral nerve disorders
• Pituitary disorders
• Spine tumors and disorders (scoliosis, degenerative disc disease)
• Stroke

The Leaders in Neurology and Neurosurgery

The U-M Department of Neurology brings together a dedicated team of highly skilled physicians with expertise in 19 different subspecialties of neurology. And, since 1920, the U-M Department of Neurosurgery has been on the forefront of neurosurgical care, education and research – developing several unique treatments for malignant brain tumors and performing the state of Michigan's first brain tissue graft.

We provide care for critically ill patients with neurologic disease. Our service includes a dedicated intensive care unit, epilepsy monitoring beds and a separate stroke unit – which has been designated with Primary Stroke Center Certification from the Joint Commission, the national organization that accredits hospitals. We also offer the latest minimally invasive techniques, 3-D awake brain mapping and services in our 18-bed sleep laboratory.

Our new neurointerventional suite – the first of its kind in the nation – makes it possible to both detect and repair strokes, brain aneurysms and even rare conditions all in the same room. You get one-stop treatment: going from diagnosis to surgery, with a team of radiologists and neurosurgeons working closely together. The suite is especially helpful for stroke patients in need of endovascular techniques for thrombolysis or removal of clots – treatment that has to be delivered within eight hours of the onset of symptoms.

We take a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, exploring every avenue before offering informed choices to our patients and their families. That means you receive the most comprehensive care and treatment for your particular disease.