Blogs

Dementia cannot always be prevented, but research suggests roughly 45% of cases are linked to modifiable risk factors, including high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, hearing and vision loss, physical inactivity, and social isolation. Most of these show...

A pineal gland tumour grows in or around the pineal gland, a small brain structure that produces melatonin and regulates sleep. Its location near major draining veins and the cerebrospinal fluid pathway means hydrocephalus is usually the first sign, often presenting...

Cortical mapping identifies which brain areas control speech, movement, sensation and memory before tissue is removed during surgery. A small electrical current stimulates the brain's surface while the patient performs simple tasks, and any disruption marks a region...

Cubital tunnel compresses the ulnar nerve at the elbow, affecting the ring and little fingers and worsening with prolonged elbow bending. Carpal tunnel compresses the median nerve at the wrist, affecting the thumb, index and middle fingers and flaring with repetitive...

Spinal cord stimulation can cut chronic back and leg pain by half or more. It isn't magic, and it isn't for everyone. A small implanted device sends mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord and scrambles the pain signals before they reach the brain. It works best for...

Most spinal fusion surgeries heal without major problems, but recovery isn't always perfectly smooth. Stiffness, aches, and nerve pain can linger for a while, while issues like hardware problems or nearby spinal wear usually show up much later, if they happen at all....

Standard MRI and fMRI are complementary, not competing. MRI shows the tumour's size, location, and anatomy, while fMRI maps critical functions such as movement, speech, and memory. For tumours near eloquent brain areas, both are essential for safe surgical planning. ...

Recovery after brain surgery is gradual and deeply personal. Expect fatigue, headaches, mood swings, and slower thinking in the early weeks. Most of this eases within months. Some patients regain full function; others need therapy for speech, movement, or memory....

Not the same thing. Not even close. Migraine is a neurological disorder with its own phases, triggers and symptoms that go well beyond head pain. A tension headache and a migraine both hurt. That is where the similarity ends. Treatment that works for one does nothing...

Not the same thing. Not even close. Migraine is a neurological disorder with its own phases, triggers and symptoms that go well beyond head pain. A tension headache and a migraine both hurt. That is where the similarity ends. Treatment that works for one does nothing...

Parkinson's disease is known for tremor, stiffness and slowness of movement. But the non-motor symptoms are just as common, often more disabling and, in many cases, appear years before the tremor is noticed. Loss of smell, constipation, sleep disturbance and...

A non-epileptic seizure looks like epilepsy but produces no abnormal electrical activity in the brain. That single difference changes everything: the diagnosis, the treatment and the outcome. These seizures do not respond to antiepileptic drugs, and prescribing them...

Two brain tumours. Both glial. Both treated with surgery first. After that, the paths diverge significantly. Ependymoma stays local, responds to focal radiotherapy, rarely needs chemotherapy. Astrocytoma spans grade 1 to grade 4, and at the high end, chemotherapy is...

Laminectomy is less invasive. Shorter operation, less blood loss, faster recovery, no implanted hardware. Spinal fusion is larger, screws, rods, bone graft, months before the bone consolidates. But the comparison only matters when both are genuinely options for the...

Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve at the wrist. The nerve supplies sensation to the thumb, index, middle and half the ring finger, and motor power to the thumb muscles. When the tunnel narrows, the nerve gets squeezed. Tingling, numbness and...

Intracranial hypertension. Raised pressure inside the skull that has no room to give. Brain tissue swells, CSF backs up, blood volume rises, and the pressure climbs with it. Trauma, haemorrhage, infection, or no identifiable cause at all. The damage it does to the...

Neither is universally better. MRI is the first investigation and the one that drives surgical planning. PET follows when the question shifts from where the tumour is to how metabolically active it is, or whether a change on post-treatment imaging represents...

Laminectomy removes the lamina, the bony roof of the spinal canal, to take pressure off the spinal cord or nerve roots. Simple concept. One of the most performed spinal operations in the world. It is the standard surgical answer for spinal stenosis when physio and...

Headaches can be a sign of a brain tumour, though they are far more often caused by tension, migraine or other benign conditions. What distinguishes a brain tumour headache is not the pain itself but the pattern: progressive worsening over weeks, worse in the morning,...

DBS can reduce chorea in selected Huntington's disease patients, but that is the limit of what it offers. It does not slow neurodegeneration or address cognitive decline. In patients with existing cognitive impairment, it may worsen it. The evidence base is small,...

A spinal cord injury can cause permanent paralysis. Whether it does depends on one thing above everything else: how complete the damage is. Complete injuries, where nothing gets through below the injury site, carry the highest risk of lasting paralysis. Incomplete...

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself, not the surrounding membranes. Most cases are managed medically in intensive care. Surgery enters the picture only when specific complications develop  haemorrhage, abscess or brain swelling that no drug can reverse....

Brachial plexus repair demands microsurgical training in peripheral nerve reconstruction that sits outside standard neurosurgery. Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney brings fellowship training from Japan in functional neurosurgery, with direct experience across stretch...

Neither approach is universally safer. The choice depends on the lesion type, its location and whether the pathology can be reached through a minimally invasive route. Craniotomy offers the widest access for complex pathology. Endoscopic surgery reaches certain areas...

Migraine is a neurological disorder, not just a bad headache. The pain throbs on one side of the head and an untreated attack lasts 4 to 72 hours. About one person in eight has it worldwide. Women outnumber men three to one. Nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light...

Brain surgery can lead to permanent memory loss, though this represents a less common outcome of the procedure. Most memory changes settle within weeks to months as post-operative swelling subsides and the brain finds its footing again. Permanent impairment becomes...

Choosing between deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound depends on the tremor's severity, which side needs treating, and how the patient weighs surgical risk against the trade-offs of each approach. DBS implants electrodes connected to a programmable device,...

TL;DR Failed cervical fusion happens when the neck bones don't heal solidly after surgery. Warning signs include returning neck or arm pain, new numbness or weakness, clicking sounds, and hardware discomfort. Causes range from non-union to adjacent segment disease....

TL;DR Failed cervical fusion happens when the neck bones don't heal solidly after surgery. Warning signs include returning neck or arm pain, new numbness or weakness, clicking sounds, and hardware discomfort. Causes range from non-union to adjacent segment disease....

No, fusion is not always needed for multi-level stenosis. Decompression alone, removing the bone or tissue narrowing the canal, is sufficient when the spine remains stable. Fusion becomes necessary when instability is present, such as spondylolisthesis, or when the...

Neuro-oncology is the field that deals with tumours growing in or around the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. Some of these are benign and slow-growing. Others are aggressive, fast-moving, and difficult to treat even with the best available...

Size matters more than almost anything else here. Small acoustic neuromas, under about two to three centimetres, suit stereotactic radiosurgery well, controlling growth without ever removing the tumour. Large ones causing brainstem pressure or neurological symptoms...

Intraoperative monitoring tracks spinal cord and nerve function in real time throughout an operation, alerting the surgeon to a problem before it becomes a permanent deficit. Electrodes placed on the patient measure electrical signals travelling along the cord and...

Microdiscectomy removes the herniated part of a lumbar disc that's pressing on a spinal nerve root. It's minimally invasive, done through a small incision, and most patients go home the same day. Leg pain relief tends to be immediate. Back pain and nerve symptoms like...

Three conditions, one label covering all of them: brain vascular malformation. But the similarities stop there. An AVM is an abnormal tangle of arteries and veins connected directly, bypassing the capillary system, high flow, high pressure, lifelong rupture risk. An...

A brain aneurysm does not always mean surgery. Not even close to always. Small, stable, unruptured aneurysms with a low rupture risk are often just watched with serial imaging and nothing more. Where treatment is needed, endovascular coiling or flow diversion seals...

A brain aneurysm is a weak spot in a cerebral artery wall that balloons outward under blood pressure. Most people don't know they have one. When it ruptures, blood floods the space around the brain and the situation becomes immediately life-threatening. The symptoms,...

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. It presents with tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. There is no cure, but management significantly...

Migraine is a neurological condition, not just a bad headache. Attacks involve moderate to severe pulsating pain, typically on one side of the head, and come with nausea, light sensitivity, and sound sensitivity that can last hours to days. Management works on two...

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumour there is. Grade 4. Grows fast, infiltrates surrounding brain, and almost always returns. Median survival with the standard treatment package, maximal safe resection, radiotherapy and temozolomide, is around 14...

The spine supports the entire upper body and protects the spinal cord. Most people don't think about it until something goes wrong. By then, years of poor posture, weak core muscles, or prolonged inactivity have already added up. Strengthening the core, correcting how...

Brain tumors produce symptoms by pressing on or displacing surrounding tissue, disrupting the normal electrical and chemical environment of the brain. The specific signs depend on the tumor's location, size, and rate of growth. A slow-growing tumor in a non-eloquent...

Syringomyelia is a fluid-filled cavity inside the spinal cord. Not around it. Inside it. It forms because cerebrospinal fluid can't circulate properly, so pressure builds and the fluid carves out a space in the cord itself. Over time that space grows. The nerve fibres...

A thunderclap headache is a medical emergency until a brain bleed has been excluded. It peaks within seconds and is typically described as the worst headache of the patient's life. The primary concern is a ruptured cerebral aneurysm causing subarachnoid haemorrhage,...

Brachial plexus injuries can often be surgically repaired, though the outcome depends on the type of damage and how quickly treatment begins. A stretch injury may recover without intervention. A rupture can be bridged with a nerve graft. An avulsion, where the root is...

Carpal tunnel syndrome does not always require surgery. Splints, rest and steroid injections settle the milder cases effectively. Surgery is indicated when the median nerve is under genuine threat, constant numbness, a weakening grip, or the thumb muscle starting to...

Surgery for normal pressure hydrocephalus does not cure it, but the right patient can see a dramatic reversal of symptoms. A shunt drains excess cerebrospinal fluid off the brain, relieving the pressure behind the gait disturbance, cognitive decline and bladder...

Normal pressure hydrocephalus gets misread as dementia all the time, because the two look so alike from the outside. Memory slipping. A shuffling, unsteady walk. Trouble with the bladder. But here's the part that matters: NPH is a fluid problem, not a dying-brain...

Post-concussion syndrome is when concussion symptoms refuse to clear up on schedule. They should settle in a week or two. With this lot, they don't, they linger for weeks, sometimes months. Headaches. Brain fog. Dizziness, mood dips, sleep that won't behave. No single...

For most people, conservative treatment is right. The large majority of slipped discs settle with physiotherapy, medication and a bit of patience, no operation needed. Surgery is the right call when the nerve's in danger, real weakness, a foot that's dropping, or pain...

Most sciatica never needs surgery. Physiotherapy, time and pain relief settle the large majority within a few weeks. Surgery steps in when the nerve is in real trouble, spreading weakness, a dropping foot, or pain that simply won't quit despite proper conservative...

For the right patient, yes. Spinal cord stimulation can cut chronic back and leg pain by half or more. It isn't magic, and it isn't for everyone. A small implanted device sends mild electrical pulses to the spinal cord and scrambles the pain signals before they reach...

Mesial temporal sclerosis is scarring in the temporal lobe. The hippocampus, specifically, deep inside. It's the commonest reason temporal lobe epilepsy stops responding to medication. And yes, in the way that counts, it can be cured. The scar won't melt away, nobody...

Syringomyelia needs surgery when the cyst inside the spinal cord is growing, or when the symptoms keep getting worse. A small one that causes nothing usually gets watched, not cut. And here's what most people miss: the surgery rarely targets the cyst itself. It goes...

Neither is simply better, the right choice depends on what's being treated and how complex it is. Minimally invasive surgery uses small incisions and causes less muscle damage, so recovery is faster and pain is lower. Open surgery gives wider access, which matters for...

Surgery is better than radiation for brain metastases when the tumour is large, pressing on the brain, or causing symptoms that need quick relief. It's also the choice when doctors need tissue to confirm the diagnosis. Radiation suits small, deep or multiple lesions...

A baclofen pump treats spasticity by delivering the muscle relaxant straight into the fluid around the spinal cord, where it acts directly on the overactive nerve signals. A small programmable device sits under the abdominal skin, and a thin catheter delivers the drug...

Medicines stop working for essential tremor when the tremor outgrows what the drug can suppress, or when side effects cap the dose before it helps. Propranolol and primidone are the usual first choices, and they ease shaking in roughly half of patients, rarely more....

DBS surgery doesn't stop Parkinson's tremors completely, but it reduces them sharply in most patients. Deep brain stimulation sends steady electrical pulses into the movement-control regions of the brain, settling the abnormal signals that drive shaking. Tremor...

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder defined by recurrent, unprovoked seizures from sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The triggers vary from one patient to the next, genetic mutations, head injury, stroke, brain tumours, or central...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

TL;DR Life Expectancy After Spinal Fusion Spinal fusion does not reduce life expectancy in the majority of patients. Long-term outcomes depend on the underlying condition, age, and overall health — not the procedure itself. Most patients return to normal daily life...

TL;DR Warning Signs of a Seizure in Adults Seizure warning signs in adults — aura, sudden confusion, staring spells, or post-episode fatigue — are frequently missed or mistaken for stress. Recognising these early allows for faster diagnosis and better seizure control....

Spinal cord stimulation is a neuromodulation option for chronic, severe neuropathic pain that has stopped responding to medication, physiotherapy, or nerve blocks. The strongest results show up in patients with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, Complex Regional Pain...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

A seizure happens when a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain disrupts the normal signalling between neurons. Large groups of nerve cells fire together at high speed, almost like an electrical storm, and the activity either stays confined to one...

MVD gives better long-term pain relief, around 80 to 90 percent at 10 years, while gamma knife works for elderly patients who can't have open surgery. Trigeminal neuralgia is brutal. Sudden electric-shock pain across the face, set off by something as small as brushing...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

Life expectancy after a subdural hematoma without surgery comes down to the type and timing of the bleed. Mortality in untreated large or acute SDH runs between 40% and 60%, mostly in elderly patients or those on blood thinners. The picture changes completely for...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

A brain aneurysm is a weak, balloon-like bulge in a brain artery, and yes, it can rupture and trigger a life-threatening stroke. Dealing with one really comes down to three things, catching it early through imaging, keeping blood pressure in check, and getting timely...

Visit a neurosurgeon when symptoms stop being manageable. Back pain that drags into the third month. A leg going numb out of nowhere. One arm losing grip. Headaches that arrive like somebody hit you with a brick. Fits. Sudden trouble seeing or speaking. Neurosurgeons...

A migraine-friendly diet focuses on avoiding common dietary triggers such as aged cheese, chocolate, red wine, MSG, and processed meats, while including foods rich in magnesium and vitamin B-2, including spinach, almonds, salmon, and brown rice. Consistent hydration...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

A subdural hematoma is a serious medical condition where blood collects between the brain and its outer protective layer, the dura mater, usually following a head injury, fall, or use of blood thinner medication. Common symptoms include persistent headache, confusion,...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

Cervical dystonia, also called spasmodic torticollis, is a chronic neurological disorder where involuntary neck muscle contractions cause abnormal head tilting, twisting, and pain. There is no cure, but treatment effectively manages symptoms through botulinum toxin...

DBS programming starts roughly 3 to 4 weeks post-op. A neurologist sits with you, holds a small wireless device, and switches the stimulator on for the first time. Then the real work begins testing contacts, nudging voltage, tweaking pulse width and frequency until...

Yes, certain lights and screens can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, a condition affecting about 3% of those with epilepsy. Common triggers include flashing lights, strobe effects, fast-changing video game images, and high-contrast or pulsating...

VNS therapy is an FDA-approved, non-drug, palliative treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. An implanted device sends mild electrical pulses to the brain through the vagus nerve, which cuts down seizure frequency and severity. It's meant for adults and kids aged four...

Cervical myelopathy is spinal cord compression in the neck, usually from degenerative wear like arthritis, slipped discs, or thickened ligaments pressing on the cord. Symptoms build slowly at first. Hand clumsiness, trouble walking, numbness creeping into arms or...

Yes, deep brain stimulation can treat severe, treatment-resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Tourette's syndrome. DBS works like a pacemaker for the brain, sending controlled electrical pulses to calm down abnormal circuit activity. It's only on the table after...

What is stereotactic brain biopsy and when is it required?

Key signs of a brain tumor in children include persistent or early morning headaches, unexplained vomiting, balance issues, seizures, vision and speech changes, and behavioural shifts. In infants, an abnormally enlarging head, a tense fontanelle, and developmental...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

TL;DR Pain Under Ear Behind Jaw Bone Right Side Pain beneath the ear and behind the jaw on one side can stem from TMJ disorder, nerve irritation, parotid gland inflammation, or dental issues. When the pain is sharp, electric, or triggered by swallowing, a neurological...

TL;DR Can a Tonic Clonic Seizure Kill You? A single tonic-clonic seizure is rarely fatal in healthy adults. The real dangers are SUDEP, status epilepticus lasting beyond five minutes, and seizure-related injuries. Risk is highest in those with frequent, uncontrolled,...

DBS surgery and levodopa treat Parkinson’s disease through entirely different mechanisms. Here is how they differ and when surgery becomes the better option.

A brain aneurysm carries rupture risk with specific warning signs days before a major bleed. Here is what to recognise and when to seek emergency assessment.

A brain AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels carrying significant haemorrhage risk. Here is how dangerous it is and when treatment is indicated.

Most children achieve normal development after hydrocephalus surgery. Here is what determines outcome and what families should realistically expect.

Shunt failure in children with hydrocephalus produces specific clinical signs requiring urgent assessment. Here is what parents and clinicians need to recognise.

Hydrocephalus in children causes abnormal CSF accumulation in the brain. Here is when surgery is required and which procedure is appropriate

Spasticity is abnormal muscle tone from central nervous system injury. Here is when oral medication fails and a baclofen pump becomes indicated.