Spinal Cord Disorders (02-2024) Continuum Lifelong Learning in Neurology

The human brain is the most complex physical structure in the
known universe. I know this because an exhaustive, 3-minute
Google search did not reveal a viable alternative. Maybe the best
evidence that our brains are the most complicated thing around is
that no one really argues the point.
So how can we diagnose and treat disorders of an organ system too hopelessly arcane for us to (currently) comprehend? Well, it’s complicated. Neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and the clinical practice of neurology derived from these disciplines require a series of cognitive compromises: simplifications that allow us to understand and act without getting lost in the minutiae of the nervous system. Otherwise, we would be perpetually trapped in the Byzantium between our ears.
This complexity has certainly contributed to the breadth and diversity of subspecialization in neurology. There are more than 30 formal fellowships neurology graduates can pursue. Which brings us to the topic of this issue, spinal cord disorders. There are many epileptologists, neuroimmunologists, and peripheral neuropathists.
Where are all the myelopathists? Although not as anatomically complex as the brain, disorders of the spinal cord are common and frequently disabling, and affected patients are underserved by most health care systems. An expert in spinal cord disease, our guest editor Dr Shamik Bhattacharyya has put together a comprehensive Continuum issue to shed light on this relatively overlooked corner of the neurology labyrinth. The issue begins with a novel and thorough discussion of the diagnostic approach to myelopathy by Dr Carlos A. Pardo. In their respective articles, Drs Saef Izzy and Ligia V. Onofrei outline the diagnosis and management of highly prevalent traumatic cord injuries and structural myelopathies. Dr J. Ricardo McFaline-Figueroa reviews the collectively uncommon (but critical to recognize) neoplastic myelopathies…