Neurology is the study of (-ology) the nervous system (neuro-). In order to gain an understanding of the neurological diseases that affect pets, a basic knowledge of the neurological system, neuroanatomy, neurological terms and classification of neurological disease is helpful. The Neurology Overview provides the guest with an introduction to this information.
Click to learn more about the nervous system (link provided by: University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine)
Information from outside veterinary websites is provided as an informational aid and does not necessarily represent the views of the Veterinary Neurological Center.
This information is meant to be a guide and not a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
Neurons & Nerves
- neuron
- axon
- dendrite
- cell body
- myelin
- oligodendrocytes
- Schwann Cells
- sensory neuron
- interneuron
- motoneuron
- nerve
- nerve sheath
- sensory nerve
- motor nerve
- cranial nerves
Central Nervous System
Brain
Main Parts
- cerebrum
- (cerebral cortex)
- cerebellum
- brainstem
- medulla
- pons
- midbrain
- thalamus
Main Areas (Each containing a part with a particular function)
- diencephalon
- thalamus
- hypothalamus
- mesencephalon
- midbrain
- metencephalon
- pons
- cerebellum
- myelencephalon
- medulla
- telencephalon
- cerebral hemispheres
- rhinencephalon
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
- occipital
- parietal
- temporal
- frontal
Spinal Cord
| meninges | dura mater | arachnoid | pia mater | |
| subarachnoid space | ||||
| disk | nucleus pulposus | annulus fibrosus | ||
| vertebra | cervical | thoracic | lumbar | sacral |
| coccygeal | atlas | axis | ||
Ventricular System
- ventricles (4)
- central canal
- arachnoid space
- arachnoid villi
- venous sinuses
- choroid plexus
Limbic System
Vestibular System
- inner ear
- vestibulocochlear nerve
- brainstem
- cerebellum
Peripheral Nervous System
motor nerves (efferent)
- somatic system
- autonomic system
- paraympathetic division
- sympathetic division
sensory nerves (afferent)
Anatomy Directions/Planes
- Directions
- dorsal vs ventral
- lateral vs medial
- cranial / rostral vs caudal
- proximal vs distal
- Click here to learn more
- Planes
- dorsal / coronal
- transverse / axial
- sagittal
- oblique
- Click here to learn more
The website’s glossary is a useful tool for understanding the different terms related to neurology. It is organized into 5 areas specific to veterinary neurology: Anatomy, Signs/Problems, Disorders/Diseases, Pharmaceuticals and Miscellaneous.
A knowledge of certain prefixes and suffixes is helpful in understanding the meaning of some general diseases related to neurology:
| GENERAL DISEASES | Process_ | disease of: | inflammation of | tumor of: | softening of: | |
| Location: | Prefix: | Suffix: | -opathy | -itis | -oma | -malacia |
| brain | enceph- | encephalopathy | encephalitis | encephalomalacia | ||
| spinal cord | myel- | myelopathy | myelitis | myelomalacia | ||
| nerve | neur- | neuropathy | neuritis | neuroma | ||
| meninges | mening- | meningitis | meningioma | |||
| muscle | myo- | myopathy | myositis | |||
| nerve root | radicul- | radiculopathy | radiculitis | |||
| vertebra | spondylo- | spondylopathy | spondylitis | |||
| bone | osteo- | osteopathy | osteitis | |||
The terms above describe general types of diseases because they don’t provide specific information about the cause of the disease process. Once the cause has been determined, the name may change. For example, the veterinarian may determine that a patient has inflammation of the meninges (i.e. meningitis). Once it has been determined that the meningitis is caused by an infection from the fungus, coccidiomycosis, the name will change to Cocci meningitis and the patient can be specifically treated for this disease process. Also, the suffix -us denotes an organism and -osis denotes a condition. Therefore, Cryptococcosis is an infection caused by the fungus Cryptococcus.
If multiple areas are being affected by a process, two or more prefixes can be combined. For example:
Meningomyelitis: inflammation of the meninges and spinal cord
Polyradiculoneuritis: inflammation of many (poly-) nerve roots and nerves
This information is meant to be a guide and not a substitute for veterinary care.
Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
The specific neurological diseases mentioned in this website are organized into the following general categories based on the type of process causing the disease:
- Degenerative
- Congenital
- Inflammatory (Infectious or Immune-Mediated)
- Neoplastic
- Toxic
- Traumatic
- Vascular
- Metabolic
- Nutritional
- Idiopathic
This information is meant to be a guide and not a substitute for veterinary care.
Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.