Neurological disorders are a group of disorders that result from damage to parts of the nervous system or to the nervous system as a whole. Because the nervous system controls all functional activity throughout the body, the manifestations are highly variable. Symptoms can include all forms of pain, or affect muscle function, sensation, special senses (sight, taste, smell and hearing), sleep, consciousness and mental function (cognition). Symptoms of neurological disorders can be mild (e.g. numbness in the feet) or life-threatening (e.g. coma caused by a stroke).
Mental disorders are a group of disorders (mental or psychological) that are described as abnormalities in thinking, feeling and/or behaviour. We all experience small fluctuations in thinking, feeling or behaviour in our lives, but when these fluctuations significantly affect our daily lives, they are called mental illnesses or mental disorders. The line between mental illness and normal behaviour is sometimes blurred, and the effects can be long term or temporary.