MedlinePlus: Brain Diseases

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- Services and providers for Brain Diseases in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Brain Diseases is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Brain Diseases

The brain is the control center of the body. It controls thoughts, memory, speech and movement. It regulates the function of many organs. When the brain is healthy, it works quickly and automatically. However, when problems occur, the results can be devastating.

Inflammation in the brain can lead to problems such as vision loss, weakness and paralysis. Loss of brain cells, which happens if you suffer a stroke, can affect your ability to think clearly. Brain tumors can also press on nerves and affect brain function. Some brain diseases are genetic. And we do not know what causes some brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.

The symptoms of brain diseases vary widely depending on the specific problem. In some cases, damage is permanent. In other cases, treatments such as surgery, medicines or physical therapy can correct the source of the problem or improve symptoms.

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Brain Basics: Know Your Brain(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Diagnosis/Symptoms Treatment	Specific Conditions	Tutorials Games
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Anatomy/Physiology Clinical Trials Research Journal Articles	Directories Organizations Newsletters/Print Publications Law and Policy	Children Teenagers

Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Computed Tomography (CT): Head(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
  Also available in Spanish
- Diagnostic Methods: Electrophysiology(We Move)
- Functional MR Imaging (fMRI): Brain(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
  Also available in Spanish
- Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
  Also available in Spanish
Treatment
- Neurosurgery - What Is It?(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
  Also available in Spanish
- Radiosurgery: Operating on the Brain without a Scalpel(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Specific Conditions
- Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Cerebral Atrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Corticobasal Degeneration(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Cysts in the Brain(American Brain Tumor Association) - Links to PDF
- Encephalopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Kuru(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Neuronal Migration Disorders(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
Tutorials
- Neurosurgery - What Is It?(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
  Also available in Spanish
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Games
- The Split Brain Experiment(Nobel Foundation) - Requires Flash Player
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Anatomy of the Brain(American Association of Neurological Surgeons)
- Atlas of the Body: The Brain -- Lobes(American Medical Association)
- Atlas of the Body: The Brain -- Side View(American Medical Association)
- Brain and Nervous System(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Interactive Tour of the Brain(National Brain Tumor Foundation)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Brain Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
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Research
- Adult Neurogenesis(Society for Neuroscience)
- In Jazz Improv, Large Portion of Brain's Prefrontal Region 'Takes Five' to Let Creativity Flow(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
- Find a Board-Certified Neurosurgeon(American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons)
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology)
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Organizations
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
  Also available in Spanish
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Newsletters/Print Publications
- BrainWork(Dana Foundation)
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Law and Policy
- Employment Rights and Job Retraining Resources for Brain Tumor Survivors(American Brain Tumor Association)
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Children
- Periventricular Leukomalacia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
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Teenagers
- Adolescent Brain(Society for Neuroscience)
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