Neuropathologies

Neuropathologies are diseases and other pathological conditions of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. The term encompasses conditions with structural abnormalities, biochemical changes, or functional impairments in neural tissue and is used to describe disorders unified by nervous-system pathology across degenerative, inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, vascular, developmental, or traumatic origins.

Major categories include degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease; inflammatory or immune-mediated conditions such as multiple sclerosis; infectious diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis; demyelinating diseases; neoplasms including gliomas; vascular disorders such as stroke; developmental conditions including certain neurodevelopmental syndromes; and traumatic injuries to brain or spinal cord. Some disorders span more than one category, reflecting overlapping pathophysiology.

Diagnosis combines clinical assessment with imaging (MRI, CT), laboratory studies, and often analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and electrophysiological testing. Neuropathology, as a discipline, studies disease processes in nervous tissue through histology and molecular analysis and is essential for understanding mechanisms and confirming diagnoses in research and, when available, postmortem.

Treatment varies by condition and may include disease-modifying therapies, symptomatic management, rehabilitation, and supportive care. Examples include immunomodulatory drugs for multiple sclerosis, dopaminergic therapy for Parkinson's, and cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease. Research focuses on biomarkers, advanced imaging, neuroprotection, gene therapy, and cell-based approaches to address underlying pathology and improve outcomes.