Download Maths in Neurology

By Ella Weir
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Introduction to Neurology
Where is the maths?
EEGs
Irradiation
Medical Imaging
Conclusion
Bibliography
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Neurology is the study of the brain, spinal
cord and central and peripheral nervous
system.
Neurologists are specialised doctors dealing
with diagnosis and treatment of the brain and
nerves.
As neurology is a medical science, there are
many aspects that involve maths and
calculations.
Some examples of the types of maths used in
neurology:
 Sums and differences
 Dimensions
 Reading graphs
 Measuring
 Tolerance
 Geometry
 Ratio
Neurologists run EEGs (electro-encephalograms)
which measure brain voltage in different parts of
the head and how the voltage moves around. As
data comes out of the machine it is very noisy so
many mathematical “filters” have to be applied to
read the data easily.
Types of maths used are:
 Geometry
 Reading graphs
 Measuring
Cancer can be treated be irradiating the cancerous
cells, but if you shine one strong beam straight
through the cancer you will kill it and everything on
either side. Instead of using a single strong beam,
doctors use multiple weak beams in three
dimensions to create the same effect except only
the cancer is killed.
Types of maths used are:
 Dimensions
 Measuring
 Tolerance
Medical imaging is creating a visual image of the
inside of a body for clinical use. We can do this by
shining x-rays through the body, and as rays pass
through less dense material and not through dense
material this creates the black and white image that
we recognise. Neurologists use MRIs (magnetic
resonance imaging) to look at the brain and any
problems that may have occurred.
Types of maths used are:
 Measuring
 Sums and differences
 Ratio
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To become a neurologist you have to
complete 4 years of medical school and then
go on to complete a 4-year residency
programme with 1 year of internal medicine
and 3 years of neurology.
If you want to specialize in the subject, you
will need to complete 2 more years of
additional training or fellowship.
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On average the annual salary of a neurologist
(working in the UK) is £86,102.
The starting salary is £64,578 and at the
higher end you are likely to be earning
£99,880 annually.
These numbers can differ and change
depending on the experience, type of work
and location.
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Overall, neurology has been a very interesting
subject to research and I found that maths
can be used more than I thought.
As a result of studying neurology, I have
become more fascinated about the subject
and it is something I am interested in doing
in the future.
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Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math
Saving lives: the mathematics of tomography
| plus.maths.org
Electroencephalogram (EEG) - NHS Choices
Radiotherapy - NHS Choices
What is a Neurologist? - Neurology Highland Hospital - University of Rochester
Medical Center
Neurology Career Guide: Qualifications, Job
Description & Career Prospects