What neurological disorders should one know to pass medical boards?

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Last updated: September 9, 2025 • View editorial policy

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Key Neurological Disorders for Medical Board Examinations

For medical board examinations, candidates should focus on mastering common neurological disorders including dementia (particularly Alzheimer's disease), cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, headache disorders, movement disorders, and autoimmune neurological conditions as these represent the highest-yield topics for board certification. 1, 2

High-Priority Neurological Disorders

1. Neurodegenerative Disorders

  • Alzheimer's Disease

    • Diagnostic criteria: Insidious onset, progressive cognitive decline, amnestic or non-amnestic presentations (language, visuospatial, executive dysfunction) 3
    • Biomarker classification: Amyloid-beta (PET, CSF, plasma) and phosphorylated tau markers 3
    • Pathophysiology: Mitochondrial dysfunction, hypometabolism in medial frontal and anterior cingulate cortices 1

  • Parkinson's Disease

    • Cardinal features: Tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability 1
    • Pathophysiology: Reduced activity of respiratory chain Complex I, degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra 1
    • Diagnostic testing: DaTscan showing decreased radiotracer uptake in the striatum 1

  • Other Neurodegenerative Conditions

    • Huntington's disease: Chorea, cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms 1
    • Lewy body disease: Fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism 3

2. Cerebrovascular Disease

  • Stroke and Vascular Cognitive Impairment

    • Classification of infarcts: Large vessel, lacunar, hemorrhagic 3
    • Risk factors: Hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation 3
    • Vascular cognitive impairment: Executive dysfunction, gait abnormalities 3

  • Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

    • White matter hyperintensities, microinfarcts, microbleeds 3
    • Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: Lobar hemorrhages, cognitive decline 3

3. Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders

  • Seizure Classification

    • Focal vs. generalized onset
    • Motor vs. non-motor symptoms
    • Awareness: Aware vs. impaired awareness

  • Status Epilepticus

    • New onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) 3
    • EEG findings: Focal slowing, lateralized periodic discharges 3

4. Autoimmune Neurological Disorders

  • Autoimmune Encephalitis

    • Clinical syndromes: Limbic encephalitis, NMDAR encephalitis 3
    • Diagnostic approach: MRI, EEG, CSF analysis, antibody testing 3
    • Treatment: Immunotherapy (steroids, IVIG, plasma exchange) 3

  • CNS Vasculitis and Inflammatory Disorders

    • Multiple sclerosis: Relapsing-remitting vs. progressive forms
    • Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders
    • Neurosarcoidosis

5. Headache Disorders

  • Primary Headaches

    • Migraine: With and without aura
    • Tension-type headache
    • Cluster headache and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias

  • Secondary Headaches

    • Red flags: Thunderclap onset, fever, immunosuppression, cancer history
    • Intracranial hypertension and hypotension

6. Peripheral Nervous System Disorders

  • Polyneuropathies

    • Diabetic, inflammatory, toxic, hereditary 3
    • Diagnostic testing: Nerve conduction studies, electromyography 3

  • Cranial Neuropathies

    • Optic neuropathy: Inflammatory vs. ischemic 3
    • Facial nerve palsy: Bell's palsy vs. secondary causes

7. Functional Neurological Disorders

  • Diagnostic Approach

    • Positive diagnostic features rather than diagnosis of exclusion 4
    • Neurological signs specific to functional disorders 4

  • Common Presentations

    • Functional movement disorders
    • Non-epileptic seizures
    • Functional sensory symptoms

Diagnostic Approaches to Master

  1. Neuroimaging Interpretation

    • MRI patterns in different neurological conditions 3, 1
    • FDG-PET findings in neurodegenerative disorders 3, 1

  2. Neurophysiological Testing

    • EEG patterns in epilepsy and encephalopathy 3
    • Nerve conduction studies in peripheral neuropathies 3

  3. Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis

    • Inflammatory markers, cell counts, protein, glucose
    • Biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases 3

Clinical Pearls and Pitfalls

  • Approximately 12% of patients with established neurological diagnoses have symptoms not fully explained by their condition 5
  • Headache, functional/psychological disorders, and epilepsy are the most common diagnoses in neurology outpatient settings 2
  • Neurological disorders represent the leading cause of disability worldwide, with increasing prevalence due to population aging 6
  • When evaluating cognitive impairment, always assess for reversible causes before concluding a neurodegenerative etiology 3

Anatomical Classification Approach

Understanding neurological disorders by anatomical location is high-yield for boards:

  • Limbic system: Limbic encephalitis, Alzheimer's disease 3
  • Cortical/subcortical: ADEM, tumefactive MS, PML, CJD 3
  • Striatum: CJD, toxic encephalopathy, metabolic disorders 3
  • Brainstem: Rhombencephalitis, CLIPPERS, neurosarcoidosis 3
  • Cerebellum: Post-infectious cerebellitis, paraneoplastic degeneration 3

By systematically mastering these key neurological disorders and diagnostic approaches, candidates will be well-prepared for the neurology component of medical board examinations.

References

1
Guideline

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Praxis Medical Insights: Practical Summaries of Clinical Guidelines, 2025

3
Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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