Definition

Any disorder of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves).

Types

There are more than 600 diseases that affect your brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Common chronic disorders include:

Causes

Neurologic disease can be due to:

Statistics

  • 16% of US households contain an individual with some form of brain impairment
  • 35.8% of persons aged 85 years and older have moderate or severe memory impairment
  • 1.2 million adult-onset brain disorders are newly diagnosed each year; 51.3% are due to stroke and 21% are due to Alzheimer’s disease
  • 47.4 deaths per 100,000 population are due to a neurological condition

Risk Factors

  • Advanced age
  • Family History
  • Gender
  • Infection
  • Injury
  • Medications
  • Other chronic conditions

Prevention

Generally, neurological disorders are not preventable, but there are steps to make them less likely or less of a burden.

  • Eat a low-fat diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
  • Maintain physical activity (aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate activity)

Vaccinations

People with chronic diseases are at higher risk for serious problems from certain diseases. Getting vaccinated is an important step in staying healthy.

The CDC recommends all adults receive:

  • Influenza – recommended every year, age 6 months and older
  • Tdap – (if an adult did not receive it as an adolescent to protect against pertussis (whooping cough), and then a Td (tetanus, diphtheria) booster shot every 10 years.

Talk to your doctor about which other vaccines are right for you.

Neurological Disease and COVID-19

The CDC has reported that individuals with mental health conditions (such as depression and schizophrenia spectrum disorders) and neurological conditions (dementia and Alzheimer’s) are at an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Most people infected with COVID-19 will have no or mild to moderate symptoms associated with the brain or nervous system. However, most individuals hospitalized due to the virus report symptoms related to the brain or nervous system, most commonly including muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, and altered taste and smell.

People with severe or acute COVID-19 illness may develop confusion, delirium, and a depressed level of consciousness. Those suffering from post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 frequently have difficulty concentrating and memory problems, sometimes called “brain fog“.

Resources

Support Groups