Nerve Diseases, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Nerve Diseases, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesThe Nervous system comprises:1. Central Nervous Systema. Brainb. Spinal cord2. Peripheral Nervous Systema. Neuronb. Peripheral gangliac. Autonomic Nervous SystemThe nervous system comprises 2 basic types of cells:1. Neurons - the actual nerve cell2. Glia - Glial cells are support cells called astrocytes and oligodendrocytes and outnumber neuronsA neuron is a dedicated type of cell found in the nervous system of most humansThe neurons make use of electrical impulses and chemical signals to transmit information between different areas of the brain and between the brain and the rest of the nervous system.
Neurons have 3 basic components:1. A cell body (soma)Within the cell body is a nucleus which regulates the cell's activities and contains the cell's genetic material.2. An axonThe axon appears like a long tail and transmits messages from the cell.3. One or many dendritesDendrites appear like the branches of a tree and receive messages for the cell. Neurons correspond with each other by sending chemicals, called neurotransmitters, across a tiny space, called a synapse, between the axons and dendrites of adjacent neuronsThere are 3 classes of neurons:1.
Sensory neurons (or afferent neurons): send information from sensory receptors (e.g., in skin, eyes, nose, tongue, ears) toward the central nervous system.2. Motor neurons (or efferent neurons): send information away from the central nervous system to muscles or glands. They regulate voluntary muscle activity such as speaking and carry messages from nerve cells in the brain to the muscles.3. Inter-neurons: send information between sensory neurons and motor neurons.
There are about 100 billion neurons alone in the brain and probably 10 time that amount in the human body. Motor neuron disease (MND) is a rare but devastating illnessThis leads to death through progressive muscular paralysis. MND can cause wrist drop, stiffness, hand and leg weaknessIt can also cause respiratory muscular weakness and breathlessnessBulbar paralysis may lead to difficulty in speech and swallowingThere is also weakness of the throat and mouth muscles with droolingThe diagnosis of MND is primarily clinical with progressive weakness.
Electrodiagnostic testing of the UMN and LMN can confirm the diagnosisRiluzole should be offered to all patients with MND to slow disease progression. Regular physical, occupational therapy will prolong life and prevent complicationsFacial Palsy is the pressure on the facial nerve causing paralysisThe cause is unknown but ranged from hereditary to sarcoidosisThe facial muscles on one side is weak and droopingThe eye cannot close properly and there is saliva dribblingThe treatment is to start urgently on a course of oral prednisolonePhysiotherapy of the facial muscles is used to restore the facial muscle tone.
The eyes need to be protected by wearing glasses or using eye ointmentMost patients will recover within 3 weeks of treatmentHuntington's Chorea is a progressive degenerative brain conditionThe affected basal ganglia causes choreiform movements and mental deterioration-An original poem by Kenneth KeeCharcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is an inherited motor and sensory neuropathyThis hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy and peroneal muscular atrophy is a heterogeneous inherited disorder of nerves that is featured by:1.
Loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation predominantly in the feet and legs2. Loss of muscle and sensation in the hands and arms in the advanced stages of disease. Other diseases are Parkinson Disease, Dementia, Stroke, NeuralgiaTABLE OF CONTENTIntroductionChapter 1 The Nerve CellChapter 2 Nerve and Dis...