Neurologic Disorders
Hunter Boumans
Central Louisiana Technical Community College
NEUROLOGIC DISORDERS
A. Definition-
Any disorder that involves dysfunction of the spinal cord, brain or nervous system.
• Cerebral palsy- loss of motor function, posture, muscle tone
• Hydrocephalus- built up fluid in the brain
• Spinal bifida- defect in spinal cord development
• Muscular Dystrophy- multiple genetic diseases that cause weakness that worsens over time.
• Bacterial meningitis-inflammation usually caused by an infection that effects the brain and spinal cord cells
• Seizure disorders- disturbance of nerve cell activity in the brain
B. Assessment-
• Airway, Breathing, Circulation
• Glasgow Coma Scale (less than 8 is unconscious)
Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. It is a birth defect in which a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop properly. The term Spina bifida comes from Latin and means "split" or "open" spine. This disorder occurs when the fetus is growing in the womb and its spine doesn’t form correctly. Some of the vertebrae don’t close to make their normal ring shapes around the spinal cord. This defect happens at the end of the first month of pregnancy, when a baby's spine and spinal cord are developing. Causes of Spina Bifida Causes that cause this disorder are low levels of the vitamin folic acid during pregnancy. Not having enough folic acid in the diet before and during early pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of Spina bifida and possibility of other neural tube defects. A high fever during pregnancy may increase a woman's chance of having a baby with Spina bifida. Some evidence suggests that genes may be a cause of Spina Bifida, but most babies born with Spina bifida have no family history of the condition. Also, women with epilepsy
Capriotti & Frizzell (2016) explain that sepsis is often seen in those who have a weak immune system. These individuals are at an increased risk of developing sepsis from microorganisms that a healthy immune system would normally fight off (Capriotti et al. 2016). The elderly, infants, and immunosuppressed patients are the most at risk for developing the condition (Capriotti et al. 2016). Sepsis can be caused by any microbe, but is most often caused by bacteria (Capriotti et al. 2016). Since sepsis has such a broad reach and can develop as a secondary infection after an initial injury or illness, Capriotti & Frizzell (2016) further explain the di...
A. NF is caused by a mutation in the NF1 gene, which creates the protein neurofibromin.
To gather information at one place to facilitate researchers to look into the basics and advance technologies in this area of science at one platform.
A piece of well-oiled machinery consists of an intricate and complex system: there are well-organized processes, mechanisms within the device work efficiently, and multiple processes function simultaneously to subsequently perform various functions. What happens when there is a glitch in the machine? When there is something wrong, such as connections between intricate processes, which do not follow through, the machine fails to function properly. In some cases, there are not any adjustment or fallback mechanisms. At that point, the damage can be irreversible and the machinery is no longer salvageable. [However, this can illustrate the interactions and processes within the complex machinery.]
Due to its tendency to be both a viral and bacterial disease, meningitis can prove difficult to treat. Its dual tendencies also mean that various methods are used to attack the disease. In order to treat meningitis, different aspects of the disease must be discovered first. The type of organism causing the infection, the age of the patient, and the extent of the infection must all be taken into account (WebMD, sec. 8). Any time meningitis is found, immediate treatment with antibiotics is required, and continuation of antibiotic treatment depends on whether a bacteria or a virus is causing th...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide for which there is no cure. Many patients who survive from TBI may experience permanent cognitive loss, behavioral issues, and emotional disturbances, which require daily medical or social attentions.[1, 2] It is believed that over 2% US population is experiencing TBI-associated disabilities which create an annual burden evaluated at $60 billion on direct (medical service) and indirect (loss of productivity) costs.[3, 4] Traumatic brain injury is complex which consists of a mechanical trauma (primary injury) and a resulting biochemical cascade (secondary injury), and lead to a wide diversity of symptoms.[5]
Meningitis is a disease caused by inflammation of the protective membrane of the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. Usually meningitis is caused by either a bacteria or a virus, but in less common cases, meningitis can possibly be caused by certain medications or injuries. The most common way that meningitis is contracted is by bacteria or viruses that infect the body and spread from the bloodstream to the meninges by cerebrospinal fluid. Viral meningitis is more frequently seen and is not usually severe. In more serious cases, viral meningitis may cause prolonged fever or seizures. On the other hand, bacterial meningitis is very serious and must be treated immediately in order to prevent brain damage or even death. Both types of meningitis share the same symptoms which makes it very important to see a doctor to determine the severity of the disease. The severity of meningitis depends on a person's age, health, and also the cause. Meningitis can range from very mild to very severe. The likely hood of death is highest in someone who suffered a seizure in the first 24 hours, ...
Septic shock can occur when an untreated or inadequately treated infection is allowed to grow in the body. Bacteria often produce toxins which can cause injury throughout the body. When large quantities of these bacteria, and the toxins, begin circulating in the bloodstream, every organ and tissue in the body is at risk of their damaging effects. "The most damaging consequences of these bacteria and toxins include poor functioning of the
This means that the immune system is malfunctioning within the body (by mistakenly attacking the CNS), which is why it is appropriate for this term to be a possible cause. Studies have found what type of immune cells are responsible for attacking the CNS; T cells and possibly B cells—the major components of cellular adaptive immune response. Studies are still ongoing to find out more in depth information regarding the immunologic cause.
Paramedics are frequently presented with neurological emergencies in the pre-hospital environment. Neurological emergencies include conditions such as, strokes, head or spinal injuries. To ensure the effective management of neurological emergencies an appropriate and timely neurological assessment is essential. Several factors are associated with the effectiveness and appropriateness of neurological assessments within the pre-hospital setting. Some examples include, variable clinical presentations, difficulty undertaking investigations, and the requirement for rapid management and transportation decisions (Lima & Maranhão-Filho, 2012; Middleton et al., 2012; Minardi & Crocco, 2009; Stocchetti et al., 2004; Yanagawa & Miyawaki, 2012). Through a review of current literature, the applicability and transferability of a neurological assessment within the pre-hospital clinical environment is critiqued. Blumenfeld (2010) describes the neurological assessment as an important analytical tool that evaluates the functionality of an individual’s nervous system. Blumenfeld (2010) dissected and evaluated the neurological assessment into six functional components, mental status, cranial nerves, motor exam, reflexes, co-ordination and gait, and a sensory examination.
Rationale: As explained in the background, CGRP activates adenylate cyclase increasing the cytosolic cAMP. My preliminary data show that cAMP potentiates increased Ca2+ influx into the SGNs synonymous with the synaptopathy. The preliminary experiments that showed CGRP might potentiate synptopathy was done by Qiong Wang, a former postdoc in our lab. Due to the lack of appropriate antibodies she had to count the axonal fibers instead of synapses. This method is obsolete now, as SGNs are found usually in bundles before they make synapses, which makes this method unreliable. I intend to redo the treatment with CGRP and cAMP in the organotypic culture
Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative bacterial pathogen which is hosted only by humans and colonizes nasopharynx. It is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis and meningococcal infections worldwide. Over half a million meningococcal cases occur annually and causes large epidemic and endemic outbreaks. Thus, meningococcal infection is one of the top ten infectious cause of death in the whole world (Tzeng & Stephens, 2000). Although the bacterium causes numerous human diseases, the most often associated with serious consequences are meningitis and meningococcemia (severe sepsis). Meningitis usually develops within a week and causes the list of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, eye sensitivity to light, fever, headache, and stiff neck. The meningococcemia is characterized by fever and rash (petechial or purpuric), malaise, vomiting, drowsiness, hypotension, acute adrenal hemorrhage, multiorgan failure, and shock (Centers for control disease and prevention, 2005). Also, meningococcal disease include pneumonia, conjunctivitis, urethritis, sinusitis, otitis, septic arthritis, and purulent pericarditis, where 10-15% of cases are fatal, and 10% of the patients who recover, usually have hearing loss (Ferguson et al., 2002).
Ok. A therapy to treat meningitis is Oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy means using an oxygen tank or a machine to breathe in air that contains more oxygen than
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga is the story of young Tambu. The book starts off with her living with her parents, Ma’Shingyai and Jeremiah, and her brother, Nhambo in post-colonial Zimbabwe. After facing the news that her brother died, she and her immediate family decided move Tambu to live with her aunt and uncle, Babamukuru and Maiguru, to go to the missionary school where her uncle is head of and to get a better life for herself from the homestead. While living with her aunt, uncle, and their daughter, Nyahsa, Tambu realizes the nervous conditions that are around her as she sees the issues between race and gender in modern day Zimbabwe through her family. Even though, she has lived the luxury life of her uncle’s house, she sees that all things