Nervous+System-Diseases+&+Disorders



[|Rags to Riches]
 * __Overviews:__**

//Alzheimer’s Disease// destroys the nerve cells (neurons) and the brains message paths slowly. This disorder is the fourth leading cause of death for adults in the US. It usually occurs from ages of sixty-five and up. The disease usually lasts between six and ten years after it starts, after that point the patient is usually dead. Typical symptoms are memory loss, mood swings and slower movements. There is no cure, but he or she can get medication to control the symptoms (emotional).

//Epilepsy// is a seizure disorder. Seizures are uncontrollable movements a person makes. These are occur because the messages to the brain become misunderstood. Causes for epilepsy are mostly unknown, but sometimes this disorder occurs as a reaction to another event (ex: head injury). This disorder can be managed with medications and life style changes.

//Parkinson’s Disease// is a disease of the brain that affects nerve cells. This disease usually occurs around sixty years old. The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown. A few symptoms are tremors, slowness and bad coordination. These can be dealt with through medication and brain surgery.

//Multiple Sclerosis// starts when the fatty substance protecting the spinal cord (a major communication route for the brain) is damaged. This disease occurs between the ages of twenty and forty. A person with MS would have symptoms affecting his or her motor abilities (ex: walking or talking), sensory abilities (ex: sight or touch), and emotion stability. These symptoms can be controlled through medication, physical therapy and assistance (ex: wheelchairs or electric scooters).

//Spina Bifida// is a neural tube birth defect. This is the most common type with in this group of defects. The top of the neural tube forms part of a baby’s brain and spinal cord. The cause for Spina Bifida is currently unknown, but scientist think genes and environment may effect the development of the neural tube in a baby. This defect is treatable with medication and physical therapy.


 * __Important Points:__**

Alzheimer’s Disease Epilepsy Parkinson’s Disease Multiple Sclerosis Spina Bifida
 * Slowly progressive
 * Destroys neurons & the brain’s communication paths
 * Dementias is the most common form
 * Several characteristic abnormal structures which cause malfunction or death to cells
 * 3 stages- mild, moderate, severe
 * type w/causes unknown-Idiopathic
 * type w/know causes (ex: head injury)-Symptomatic
 * type w/causes suspected but not found-Crytogenic
 * causes seizures, affects memory, affects attention span
 * meds cause drowsiness, and mood & behavior problems, but controls seizures
 * slowly progressive
 * affects nerve cells (Basal Ganglia & Substantia Nigra) which produce Dopamine (chemical messenger controlling body movements)
 * Bradykinesia-slow movement, decreased blinking, drooling, lack of facial expressions
 * Tremor-involuntary shaking
 * Rigidity
 * Postural Instability- sense of imbalance, tendency to fall
 * Occurs when damage to Myelin (fat protecting the spinal cord)
 * Demyelination-destruction which can occur anywhere in the central nervous system
 * Affects walking, vision
 * Memory loss, mood swings, learning problems
 * Most common neural tube birth defect
 * 1/1000 babies’ neural tubes don’t close properly
 * most severe type-Myelomeningocele
 * mild/hidden type-Occulta
 * rarest type-Meningocele
 * most serious type-Myelomeningocele or Open
 * surgery is sometimes need to prevent babies from dangerous infections

**__Prevention & Treatment Tips:__** Spina Bifida *Take folic acid vitamins for a few months before getting pregnant & during pregnancy -folic acid= a B vitamin found in broccoli, spinach, orange juice, and certain pastas, breads & cereals -Especially important during the 1st 3 months of pregnancy, when neural tube is forming and closing *Regular physical therapy
 * Prevention
 * Treatment
 * Surgery to close the babies’ backs shortly after birth to avoid infection
 * Surgery to remove a sac poking out of the back through a hole, or out of a baby’s head.

Alzheimer’s Disease


 * Prevention

* Treatment
 * Currently there is no way to prevent this disease
 * Drugs to create emotion and better mind processing
 * Nursing homes for constant care

Epilepsy


 * Prevention
 * Currently there is no way to prevent this disease
 * Avoid situations in which head trauma could occur
 * Treatment
 * Medication to control seizures
 * Changes in lifestyle and diet
 * Surgery- nerve stimulation

Parkinson’s Disease -Pallidotomy, Thalamotomy, Deep Brain Stimulation
 * Prevention
 * Currently there is no way to prevent this disease
 * Treatment
 * Meds to replace dopamine in the brain, make a steady supply of levadopa in the blood, stop the destruction of dopamine, reduce acetylcholine activity, and block the excessive action of glutamate
 * Surgery

Multiple Sclerosis -devices- canes, walkers, wheel chairs and electric scooters
 * Prevention
 * Currently there is no way to prevent this disease
 * Treatment
 * Medication for severe symptoms
 * Assistance
 * Physical therapy

__10 Vocabulary Words for Diseases and Disorders of the Nervous System__


 * 1) Central nervous system- made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, this system collects and interprets all nerve impulses
 * 2) Peripheral nervous system-consists of all the nerves not apart of the central nervous system and connects all those parts to the central nervous system
 * 3) Autonomic nervous system-controls involuntary movement such as the heart, lungs, and glands
 * 4) Somatic nervous system-controls voluntary motion such as the skeletal and muscular system
 * 5) Neurons-receive and transmit information to and from nerve centers and initiates a response
 * 6) Sympathetic- a part of the autonomic nervous system that lets the body function under stress (fight or flight) by speeding up heart rate,releasing adrenaline, dilating pupils, ect.
 * 7) Parasympathetic- a sub category of the autonomic system that calms the body back down after stress by stabilizing the heart rate, contracting pupils, ect.
 * 8) Nerve impulses- electrical impulse that travels through the nerves and transmits information throughout the body
 * 9) Motor nerves- carries impulses from the brain to muscles and glands
 * 10) Sensory nerves- send messages to the brain through the spinal cord
 * 11) Myelin- a fatty substance that protects the nerves of the brain & spinal cord
 * 12) Aura- an unusual feeling felt prior to a more widespread epileptic seizure
 * 13) Ictus- a whole epileptic seizure, including the aura
 * 14) Post Ictus- the time period after an epileptic seizure when a person experiences muscle weakness or deep sleep
 * 15) Pallidotomy- a dyskinesias controlling PD surgical procedure where the internal part of the GPi is destroyed by a high frequency energy current which heats it to a desired temp
 * 16) Deep Brain Stimulation- a tremor & slow movement controlling PD surgical procedure where an electrode is implanted in the brain & connected to a pacemaker, implanted under the skin near the collar bone, which sends electrical signals to regulate activity
 * 17) Thalamotomy- a tremor controlling PD surgical procedure where a high frequency current is used to destroy a small area in the thalamus
 * 18) Idiopathic- type of epilepsy when causes are unknown
 * 19) Symptomatic- type of epilepsy when causes are known
 * 20) Crytogenic- type of epilepsy when causes are suspected but not found
 * 21) Demyelination- the destruction of the myelin shealth
 * 22) Stroke:heart refuser to flow blood
 * 23) Ischemis Stroke:its a common kind of stroke
 * 24) Blood Vessels:part of the circulatory system
 * 25) MRA:magnetic resonace angiography
 * 26) Irritability:an irritable petulant feeling
 * 27) Thrombosis:the formation or a thrombus
 * 28) Impaction:the condition of being pressed
 * 29) Ulcers:a circumscribed inflammatory
 * 30) Stimuli:a change inside ir outside the body
 * 31) Warfarin:a treat for an anticagullant

[|www.edheads.org/activities/brain_stimulation/swf/index.htm] [|www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/150/epilepsy] [|www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/239/multiple-sclerosis] [|www.teenhealthandwellness.com/article/433/spina-bifida][] []

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