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Disorders of the Nervous System – symptoms, prevention, treatment
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Epilepsy
- common and diverse set of chronic neurological disorders characterized by seizures.
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Seizures
- the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal
electrical activity in the brain and are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain
•
Alzheimer’s Disease
- a degenerative
disease
of the brain that
causes
dementia, which is a gradual
loss of memory, judgment, and ability to function. - the most common form of dementia- affects an
estimated 1 in 10 people over age 65
•
Multiple Sclerosis
- an autoimmune disease that affects
the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) -
body's immune system eats away at the protective
myelin sheath that covers the axons of the neurons and
interferes with the communication - MS can affect
vision, sensation, coordination, movement, and bladder
and bowel control.
•
Parkinson’s Disease
- disorder of the brain that leads to
shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking,
movement, and coordination. People with Parkinson's
disease have low brain dopamine concentrations.
•
Shingles (herpes zoster)
- painful, blistering skin rash due to the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that
causes chickenpox – the virus remains inactive (becomes dormant) in certain nerves in the body.
Shingles occurs after the virus becomes active again
•
Cerebral Palsy
- group of disorders that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as
movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking resulting from damage to certain parts of the
developing brain
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Glaucoma
- a group of eye conditions that lead to damage to the optic nerve due to increased
pressure in the eye - the eye’s drainage system becomes clogged so the intraocular fluid cannot drain
and as the fluid builds up, it causes pressure to build within the eye. High pressure damages the
sensitive optic nerve.
•
Pink eye (Conjunctivitis)
– infection of the conjunctiva of the eye
Effects of Drugs on the Nervous System
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Alcohol -
central nervous system
depressant
– cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol so
once in the bloodstream it can diffuse into almost all body tissues. It is absorbed in the stomach so it
gets into the blood stream quickly and slows down function of the nervous system
•
Caffeine -
acts as a central nervous system
stimulant -
caffeine suppresses melatonin for up to 10
hours and also promotes adrenalin. Melatonin is strongly associated with quality sleep, while
adrenalin is the neurotransmitter associated with alertness.
•
Nicotine -
small doses of nicotine have a stimulating action on the central nervous system – it is
highly addictive nicotine's effects on the brain cause an increased release of neurotransmitters
associated with pleasure. The brain quickly adjusts to repeated nicotine consumption by decreasing
the amount of neurotransmitters released. The effect of this increased tolerance is that the smoker
must continue to use nicotine in order to avoid the feelings of discomfort associated with withdrawal
from the drug. Irritability and anxiety often ensue during nicotine withdrawal.
•
Marijuana -
THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, binds to membranes of nerve cells in the
central nervous system that have protein receptors. After binding to nerve cells, THC initiates a
chemical reaction that produces the various effects of marijuana use. One of the effects is
suppression of memory and learning centers (called the hippocampus) in the brain.
