During our everyday lives, we do a lot of things such as learning new information at school, write notes, walk our dogs at the park and communicate with other people around us. The one responsible for all of these actions that we do is the nervous system in our body. Our nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord and the nerves, serves as the command center of our body. A person will be in a lot of trouble if something goes wrong to their nervous system. It can affect the way a person moves, speak, breath and even learn. Neurological diseases is the term used to describe an illness that involves the nervous system. There are “more than 600 neurological diseases” (Jankovic et al., pg.186) however, on this paper, we are only going to focus on a certain type of degenerative diseases which is the Corticobasal Degeneration. …show more content…
(biblio)Even though most of degenerative diseases are genetic, sometimes the cause comes from medical conditions such as “alcoholism, a tumor, or a stroke” (biblio) and “toxins, chemicals, and viruses.” Occasionally, the cause is not known. Degenerative diseases, depending on the type, can be life-threatening. Treatments may help improve symptoms, increase mobility and relieve pain but most of them have no cure. Corticobasal degeneration or sometimes also known as Cortical basal ganglionic degeneration (CBD) is a rare, degenerative condition that is characterized by “nerve cell loss and atrophy (shrinkage) of multiple areas of the brain” including the fronto-temporal region of the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia.
Thesis: Despite its legal status cannabis and CBD has been recognized as being beneficial in many ways. After all, cannabis and CBD has been medically beneficial when treating pain, seizures, and cancer.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION, 1997. Tabular list of neurological and related disorders. In: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION, ed. Application of the International Classification of Diseases to Neurology. Canada: World Health Organisation, p. 153.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis was not brought to International or national attention until Famous New York Yankees baseball player, Lou Gehrig, was diagnosed with it in 1939. Jon Stone, the writer and creator of Sesame Street, was also diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is very deadly and it physically handicaps a person as it progresses. There are two types of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Sporadic and Familial. Sporadic is the most common cause in some cases and Familial is inherited, which is rare. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is one of the most aggressive muscular atrophy disorders, it has many signs and symptoms, and it can be treated but cannot be cured.
Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy is a rare form of muscular dystrophy characterized by early onset contractures of the elbows, achilles tendons and post-cervical muscles with progressive muscle wasting and weakness It is also associated with heart complications like cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia which in both cases can lead to death. Cardiomyopathy is a heart disease which affects the muscles of the heart. In cardiomyopathy is muscles get rigid, enlarged or thick. They also sometimes changed by scar tissues. On the other hand arrhythmia is a disorder with the rhythm or rate of heartbeat. The heart can beat fast, which is called tachycardia or it could be beating too slow, which is called bradycardia. Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy is characterized by early onset of contractures and humeroperoneal distribution. Humeroperoneal refers to effects on the humerus and fibula. The genes known to be responsible for EDMD encode proteins associated with the nuclear envelope: the emerin and the lamins A and C.
Neurodegeneration is used mainly for diseases that are characterised by progressive loss of structure and function of neurons. There are many neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that...
Scientists are on the brink of doing the unthinkable-replenishing the brains of people who have suffered strokes or head injuries to make them whole again. If that is not astonishing enough, they think they may be able to reverse paralysis. The door is at last open to lifting the terrifying sentence these disorders still decree-loss of physical function, cognitive skills, memory, and personality.
1. James suffers from a condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Explain the full meaning of this name.
It is estimated that 1 out of every 5,600-7,700 boys ages 5-24 have Duchene or Becker muscular dystrophy. (“Data & Statistics,” 2012 April 6) Muscular dystrophy is a group of genetic diseases defined by muscle fibers that are unusually susceptible to damage. There are several different types of muscular dystrophy some of which shorten the affected person’s lifespan. (“Muscular dystrophy: Types and Causes of each form,” n.d.) There is a long history of the disorder but until recently there wasn’t much knowledge of the cause. (“Muscular Dystrophy: Hope through Research,” 16 April 2014) Symptoms are obvious and can be seen as soon as a child starts walking. (“Muscular Dystrophy,” 2012 January 19) Although muscular dystrophy mostly affects boys, girls can get it too. (“Muscular Dystrophy,” 2012 January 19) There is no cure for muscular dystrophy but there are several types of therapy and most types of muscular dystrophy are still fatal. (“Muscular Dystrophy: Hope through Research,” 16 April 2014)
Walton, Sir John. Brain’s Diseases of the Nervous System. 9th ed. Oxford University Press. Oxford: 1985.
Dementia is a significant health issue in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012) (AIHW 2012). Whilst Dementia primarily affects older members of the community, it can also affect young people and has a significant influence on overall health and quality of life (AIHW 2012). The type of Dementia is a determinant in the severity and development of symptoms in individuals (Department of Health 2013) (DoH, 2013). The gradual, progressive and irreversible nature of Dementia has a considerable social and physical impact not only on the individual, but also on family and friends.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a degenerative disease affecting the human nervous system. It is a deadly disease that cripples and kills its victims due to a breakdown in the body’s motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells in the brainstem and spinal cord that control muscle contractions. In ALS, these neurons deteriorate to a point that all movement, including breathing, halts. Muscle weakness first develops in the muscles of body parts distant from the brain, such as the hands, and subsequently spreads through other muscle groups closer to the brain. Such early symptoms as this, however, can hardly be noticed.
Imagine if you loss control of your body but your mind stayed unaffected. You would be a prisoner in your own body, all leading up to your death sentence. That is the sad fate for the people diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder was first described by Ran in 1850. This description was then expanded in 1873 by Charcot, who emphasized the involvement of the corticospinal tracts. In the United States, ALS is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, after the famous ball player who was stricken by the disease in the midst of his career. (Yale School of Medicine, 2014)” In this paper will go through the definition, the process, the signs, the risk factors, etiology, and discus the known people that have suffered with this terminal disease.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, also known as DMD, is the most common form of muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a condition that is inherited, and it is when muscles slowly become more and more weak and wasted. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a form of muscular dystrophy that is very rapid and is most commonly found in boys. In muscle, there is a protein named dystrophin. Dystrophin is encoded by the DMD gene. When boys have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, they do not produce enough dystrophin in their muscles. This causes weakness in their muscles. Parents can tell if their child has duchenne muscular dystrophy by looking for various symptoms.
Because CJD is such a rapid progressing disease most patients die within one year of onset. Some of the symptoms associated with CJD are much like Alzheimer’s. “Some common symptoms include depression, agitation, apathy and mood swings, rapidly worsening confusion, disorientation and problems with memory, thinking, planning and judgement, difficulty walking, and muscle stiffness, twitches, and involuntary movements.” (Alzheimer's Association, 2016). Diagnosis of CJD is a controversial issue. The only way to diagnose CJD is by brain biopsy or autopsy. In a brain biopsy, a small piece of tissue is removed and examined by a neuropathologist. This is of course dangerous and not always effective because it is hard to know if the tissue obtained is from the affected part of the brain. Biopsies are usually not recommended, not only because of the risk, but because there is no treatment available that will cure CJD. “There is no treatment that can slow or stop the underlying brain cell destruction caused by Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion diseases. Various drugs have been tested but have not shown any benefit. Clinical studies of potential CJD treatments are complicated by the rarity of the disease and its rapid progression.” (Alzheimer's Association, 2016). Treatment for CJD is aimed at alleviating symptoms and making the patient as comfortable as possible. “Doctors may prescribe painkillers such as opiates to treat pain if it occurs. Muscle stiffness and twitching may be treated with muscle-relaxing medications or antiseizure drugs. In the later stages of the disease, individuals with CJD become completely dependent on others for their daily needs and comfort.” (Alzheimer's Association,
According to (Miller, 2009), dementia is the most accurate expression which illustrates the development of cognitive impairment. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬It exemplifies the diverse brain anarchies which ultimately lead to severe brain dysfunction (Alzheimer Australia, 2011). Dementia is the leading cause of disability in older adults in Australia accounting for 17 percent of the cases (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004). Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Vascular Dementia (VD), Frontotemporal Dementia (FD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) are the well known forms of this disease. This usually occurs in older adults aged above 65; however it is a disability and not a normal symptom of aging. Chances of inheritability are present but it depends on the individual and the type of dementia (Alzheimer Australia, 2011). The Global Deterioration Scale provides a detailed explanation regarding the seven stages of cognitive decline in Dementia (Alzheimer’s Association of Canada, 2005).