Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the brain and central nervous system that is potentially disabling. Multiple Sclerosis, commonly called MS, is a disease where the immune system attacks to protective myelin sheaths that cover the nerve fibers, which causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. The disease can cause the nerves themselves to be damaged, either temporarily or, in some cases, permanently. MS is a disease that has the natural tendency to remit spontaneously. MS is an unpredictable disease that is rare and hard to treat as there is currently no cure. However, although there is no cure many of the people who are diagnosed with MS do well with no therapy as there are many medications to help with the …show more content…
The symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are variable and unpredictable as the disease impacts each person’s nerves differently. While this is true there are some symptoms are common to many people suffering from MS. Some of these are fatigue; which is the most prominent symptom as it occurs in about 80 percent of people, walking difficulties, numbness of the face, body or extremities, spasticity, weakness, vision problems, dizziness and vertigo, bladder problems, sexual problems, bowel problems, chronic pain, cognitive changes, emotional changes, and depression, which is a very common symptom. (MS Symptoms). Some of the symptoms of MS that are not as common in patients are speech problems, swallowing problems, tremor, seizures, breathing problems, itching, headaches, hearing loss, and other problems that can arise as a result of the …show more content…
The procedure for diagnosing MS is as follows: The physician must -“Find evidence of damage in at least two separate areas of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves AND -Find evidence that the damage occurred at least one month apart AND -Rule out all other possible diagnoses (Diagnosing MS)” “The physician performs a variety of tests to evaluate mental, emotional and language functions, movement and coordination, balance, vision, and the other four senses (Diagnosing
Two types of assessment procedures that are currently being used are the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB), and the Halstead Russell Neuropsychological Evaluation System (HRNES-R). The LNNB is used to diagnose cognitive deficits, while the HRNES-R indicates both the presence and degree of impairment. Both procedures involve tasks that require the patient to complete a series of functions that test abilities and/or perceptions. Such tasks would include, but are not limited to, problem solving, memory, sensorimotor functioning, and psychological/emotional status.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheaths, or oligodendrocytes that cover nerve axons in the central nervous system (PubMed Health 2013). This immune response causes inflammation, which triggers immune cells to destroy axons “along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord” (PubMed Health 2013). When the myelin sheath “is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop” thus hindering the propagation of action potentials and limiting function (PubMed Health 2013).
What is Multiple Sclerosis? Ms is an Autoimmune disorder. When the disorder progresses the nerves will be damaged and so the damaged is caused by inflammation. Another thing is the cells that were protected by a layer will be damaged as well. So when you have the damaged cell this will lead to the brain and the spinal cord. So that is what MS is.
According to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The central nervous system (CNS) comprises of the brain and the spinal cord. CNS is coated and protected by myelin sheath that is made of fatty tissues (Slomski, 2005). The inflammation and damage of the myelin sheath causing it to form a scar (sclerosis). This results in a number of physical and mental symptoms, including weakness, loss of coordination, and loss of speech and vision. The way the disease affect people is always different; some people experience only a single attack and recover quickly, while others condition degenerate over time (Wexler, 2013). Hence, the diagnosis of MS is mostly done by eliminating the symptoms of other diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects both men and women, but generally, it is more common in women more than men. The disease is most usually diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, however, it can occur at any age. Someone with a family history of the disease is more likely to suffer from it. Although MS is not
The body’s inflammatory process is facilitated by T-cell and B-cell responses to autoantigens within the CNS. The inflammatory process that happens within the CNS causes declining changes in the brain. Some changes include the axonal loss and immobilizing neurological damages. The remaining damage that transpires is irreversible and permanent in the brain and spinal cord. The symptoms of MS depend on the type and the severity of the disease. If the type and severity of the disease is severe then the symptoms will be more extreme. Some of the more common symptoms that are experienced include sensory symptoms; like numbness, tingling or pain, fatigue, visual disturbances, elimination problems like frequency or urgency and depression. There are many methods to diagnosing MS. There has been an increase in treatment options available and they are continuously testing new drugs yearly.
The clinical picture of the disease is rich and variated. Usually it starts with motor symptoms together with visual disturbances. The later progression is depending on the part of the CNS affected. MS can present itself in several clinical courses with the relapsing remmitting beeing the most common in the begging. The secondary progressive course is a sequent and gives a much worse prognosis. The benign form, even though it’s not well defined, is usually a random find in MRI and no clinical symptoms. In the most severe cases MS can lead to death.
If a person has one or more of the symptoms, it does not automatically mean they have Multiple Sclerosis. No symptom alone can diagnosis a person with MS. Doctors look for certain key factors to tell whether the individual has MS. They check the family history of the patient, do a neurological exam and conduct numerous tests to rule out all the possibilities. Some of these tests may include:
Doctors need a sure way to diagnose the disease before treatment or studies can be done. The diagnosis is an autopsy of brain tissue examined under a microscope. In addition, medical history, a physical exam, and mental status tests are used for diagnosis (Posen, 1995). Often, tests are done to rule out other potential causes of the dementia. This allows the identification of other causes of thinking and behavioral changes to be made before concluding that the patient has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The tests that are requested to be done include CT and MRI scans to rule out strokes or brain tumors which could account for change in memory and behavior; thyroid and psychological tests which can also detect thinking and behavior problems (Posen, 1995).
Patients are presented with Multiple Sclerosis in various different forms and experience symptoms to different degrees – mild, moderate or severe. While some patients’ predominately experience emotional or cognitive dysfunction, others may be presented with loss of muscle control, and/or visual, balance and sensation symptoms. Other symptoms include fatigue, bladder and bowel problems.
Physical and occupational therapy may also help. Multiple sclerosis is not a fatal disease. Most people with MS have a normal or near-normal life span and usually die from the same conditions that affect general population (heart disease, cancer). Multiple Sclerosis symptoms can negatively affect the quality of life. Suicide rates among patients with multiple sclerosis are higher than average. The majority of patients with MS do not become severely disabled. Women tend to have a better outlook than men. MS has long been known, yet diagnosis remains difficult due to the complexity of the disease and its wide array of signs and symptoms. Treating MS still relies on symptomatic relief, but therapeutic advances in the form of DMDs have shown promising
Based upon previous knowledge of brain function, what results from the testing were consistent with a brain injury?
Several tests are done in order to determine if a patient meets these criteria, and this can be done by physicians and neurologists.... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved January 19, 2014, from nia.nih.gov: http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/part-1-basics-healthy-brain/inside-human-brain. a.
Multiple Sclerosis is a nervous system disease that affects the spinal cord and the brain by damaging the myelin sheaths that protects nerve cells. Destroyed myelin prevents messages from communicating and sending properly from the brain, through the spinal cord, to internal body parts. In the United States, more than 350,000 people are diagnosed with this disease. Anyone can get this disease, but it is more common among Caucasian women. MS symptoms begin between the ages 20-40 and are caused by nerve lesions being present in multiple areas of the Central Nervous System, symptoms differ on the lesion’s location.
According to Li, O’Brien, Snyder, and Howard (2016), problematic internet use may lead to serious psychosocial dysfunction and has resulted in a proposed diagnostic criterion for the DSM-5 in order to assess the disorder. In the United States, 6% to 11% of internet users are problematic internet users. Researchers, in fact, compare problematic internet use to the assessed criteria for gambling and internet gaming disorder. They have also concluded that college-aged teens and young adults are at most risk due to the availability of internet access around them and the direct relationship between the internet and education. Symptoms include impaired physical health such as obesity or sleep disorders, psychological distress, and behavioral problems. Students may also experience more interpersonal problems and worse school and work performance.
Obstructions such as tumors can interrupt normal brain activity, leading to deficits of normal reasoning, motor control, or consciousness. Many of the signs of neural damage are easily recognizable by an outside observer, but since the actual cause of these problems are internal, the symptoms can be vague. The real deficits can affect the brain’s anatomy, or the way signals are processed. A physician can only determine the real cause by examining the brain internally to find irregularities, either in structure or in functioning.