Maths in Neurology By Ella Weir

Contents Introduction to Neurology Where is the maths? EEGs Irradiation Medical Imaging Conclusion Bibliography

Introduction to Neurology 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.

Where is the maths? Some examples of the types of maths used in neurology: Sums and differences Dimensions Reading graphs Measuring Tolerance Geometry Ratio

EEGs 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

Irradiation 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 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

Qualifications 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.

Salary 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.

Conclusion 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.

Bibliography 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