Opinion and Special Article: The Need for Specialized Training in Women's Neurology

Abstract

Women's Neurology is an emerging subspecialty that focuses on neurologic disorders across a woman's lifetime. This new domain recognizes that both health and disease are directly affected by hormonal and reproductive changes throughout the life span. This field includes neurologic diseases with a higher prevalence in women and diseases that require specialized management during pregnancy, postpartum period, lactation, and menopause. A survey was sent to US neurology residency program directors to understand the state of training in the area. Their responses highlighted an urgent need for additional education in this field for neurology residents. In this study, we discuss the educational gaps in this area, the clinical benefits of a women's neurology discipline, and the instructional gaps in this area and provide practical recommendations for training programs in women's neurology using 2 innovative fellowship programs.