Guillain- Barre Syndrome

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Guillain- Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare, but very fatal auto- immune disease that specifically focuses on attacking the myelin sheath that surrounds the peripheral nerves in the human body. There are many different severities of this disease, but without treatment it can not only affect the entire nervous system but eventually shut down the rest of the body.

The myelin sheath is a fatty substance that surrounds the axons of the nerves and provides protection. It allows messages to be sent rapidly and accurately to the axons from long distances (Serono, 2010). The axons are the part of the nervous system that allows electrical transmission of signals throughout the brain and spinal cord. Without these electrical transmissions, the body would not be able to function properly (Serono, 2010).

When a person begins to suffer from Guillain- Barre Syndrome their myelin sheath of their nervous system is being attacked and destroyed by the immune system (NINDS, 2011). The myelin sheath begins to lose its ability to transmit signals rapidly and affectively. Since signals are not getting transmitted to the brain fast enough, a person begins to notice fewer sensory responses from the rest of the body (NINDS, 2011). A person wouldn’t be able to tell right away or at all if an item they are touching is hot, cold, or causing pain. There also wouldn’t be good signal transmission from the brain to the rest of the body (NINDS, 2011). There would be signs of the muscles being unable to respond to the weakened or distraught signals they were receiving. Since the myelin sheath is responsible for transmitting the signals from a long distance, the upper and lower extremities would be the first to show signs of muscle dysfunction.

The cause of ...

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...: Elsevier

Guillain-Barre Syndrome. (2011, August 1). Retrieved from https://www.medical-library.org/journals3a/guillain_barre_syndrome.htm

Mayo Clinic. (2011, May 28). Guillain- Barre Syndrome. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/guillain-barre-syndrome/DS00413

MedPedia. (2012). Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Retrieved from http://wiki.medpedia.com/Guillain-Barre_Syndrome#Physical_Therapy

NINDS. (2011, July). Guillain- Barre Syndrome Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm

Serono, M. (2010, September 24). How does the Central Nervous System (CNS) Work?. Retrieved from http://www.epgpatientdirect.org/multiple-sclerosis/how-does-the-central-nervous-system-cns-work.cfm

Web MD. (2011, April 28). What Causes Guallain-Barre Syndrome? Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/guillain-barre-syndrome-topic-overview

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