Department Overview

The Department of Neurology at Gleneagles Global Health City in Chennai is committed to its mission of offering world-class affordable neurological care to patients from all over India and across the globe. The neurologists in our team have been trained at reputed institutions, with expertise in cutting- edge medical treatments. Our hospital provides advanced clinical care, with an emphasis on minimally-invasive techniques. The department is actively engaged in research and works towards improving medical treatments to benefit our patients and humanity at large.

The Department of Neurology is equipped with advanced diagnostic laboratories, the latest assistive-technology, and functions in a state-of-the-art environment. The department performs more than a thousand surgical procedures every year, including a number of treatments for various disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, strokes, epilepsy, paralytic disorders, sleep disorders and multiple sclerosis.

• Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterised by repeated seizures. Not all seizures are symptomatic of epilepsy, so typically a patient experiences at least 2 seizures before the condition can be accurately diagnosed. Symptoms of the seizure may include staring blank into space, temporary disorientation, uncontrollable muscle spasms, loss of consciousness and frothing from the mouth. Epilepsy can be controlled with proper medications. A few properly selected patients can achieve seizure freedom after neurosurgical resection of epileptic brain tissue.

• Stroke

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off. This deprives that area of the brain of oxygen and can lead to permanent damage to the brain cells. Prolonged oxygen deprivation can   cause brain cell death, resulting in permanent neurological deficits. When a person is experiencing a stroke, they may exhibit the following symptoms – slurred speech, difficulty understanding others, numbness, paralysis, blurred vision, headache, dizziness and vomiting. People older than 55 years of age, with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are at a high risk of experiencing a stroke. Strokes can occur very suddenly and need to be treated as an emergency. If you or a person around you is experiencing a stroke, please call an ambulance and rush them to the hospital immediately. A quick response can help save the patient’s life.

• Parkinson’s disease & Movements Disorders

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects mobility and co-ordination. This and other neurological movement disorders tend to worsen over time. Geriatric patients are at a high risk for developing neurological movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.  The condition can be managed with medication and supplemental therapies Parkinson’s disease patients respond well to medications. Patients with advanced disease and those with medications related complications can benefit from deep brain stimulation therapy that involves stimulation of the deep brain structures through electrodes implanted by a minimally invasive surgery.

• Neuro-immunological Disorders

Neuro-immunological disorders is a broad term used to describe a set of diseases in which the body’s immune system attacks the nervous system. This is known as an auto-immune response. Depending on the type of neuro-immunological disorder, the immune system may attack the central nervous system or the peripheral nervous system. Examples of neuro-immunological disorders are acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, transverse myelitis, neurosarcodosis, vasculitis of nervous system, Guillain-Barre syndrome and myasthenia gravis. Treatment of these conditions usually aims to block the abnormal immune response, relieve symptoms or address the cause of the disorder (if identifiable).

• Neuro-infection

Infections of the nervous system can be dangerous and cause debilitating long-term effects. They have the potential to cause serious neurological deficits and even death. Examples of neuro infectious diseases include meningitis, encephalitis, HIV-associated neural degeneration and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Neuro infectious diseases although difficult to diagnose, can be completely reversed if they were identified and treated early in the course.

• Cognitive Disorders & Dementia

Cognitive disorders are a set of brain disorders that affect memory, speech, language, perception and higher order thinking skills. The 4 main types of cognitive disorders are – Dementia, Delirium, Amnesia and General Cognitive Impairment. Dementia is a progressive degeneration of the brain tissue causing memory problems, confusion, and an inability t0 concentrate. A set of patients with dementia have treatable causes which when identified early will result in complete reversal of cognitive issues. Even for the neurodegenerative dementias early diagnosis will help in planning a structured cognitive rehabilitation for a better quality of life.

• Neurological Rehabilitation

Neurological rehabilitation is a rigorous doctor-supervised program to help patients with neurological diseases recover and re-learn fundamental skills they may have lost. Neurological rehabilitation may encompass physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Patients who have experienced stroke, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries and neuropathies could benefit from neurological rehabilitation. This has also proven effective in the treatment of neuro-degenerative diseases.

• Sleep Disorders

The term “sleep disorder” is an umbrella term used to describe conditions that affect a patient’s ability to sleep well and feel rested on a regular basis.  Sleep disorders could be caused by other health conditions or just by stress. Different types of sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, parasomnias and narcolepsy.