Diseases of the nervous system
Palsy
Palsy is a non-progressive neurological disorder of the motor cortex that causes spastic paralysis or weakness. It commonly develops before, after or during birth when a newborn child receives severe head trauma. There are quite a few types of palsy, but the two most common are:
Bell's Palsy- Bell's palsy is a from of neuritis that causes paralysis of the facial nerves, causing week muscles in one side of the face and an inability to close the eye. In some cases, loss of taste and SSA (sound sensitivity amplification) in the ear can occur. Unlike cerebral palsy, it's cause is unknown, and sufferers can recover at any time for no apparent reason.
Cerebral Palsy- The most common effect of cerebral palsy is paralysis, and this paralysis can occur in several different forms. Athetoid paralysis, for example, is a kind of paralysis that causes uncontrollable movement of arms, legs, the head and eyes. It causes loss of sensation in the extremities, leading to loss of balance, and can even affect intelligence, posture and speech. As a result, most sufferers are bound to a wheelchair. While cerebral palsy is attributed to infant head trauma, it is commonly related to other neurological problems, including hypoxia, hypoglycemia, jaundice and brain infection.
Bell's Palsy- Bell's palsy is a from of neuritis that causes paralysis of the facial nerves, causing week muscles in one side of the face and an inability to close the eye. In some cases, loss of taste and SSA (sound sensitivity amplification) in the ear can occur. Unlike cerebral palsy, it's cause is unknown, and sufferers can recover at any time for no apparent reason.
Cerebral Palsy- The most common effect of cerebral palsy is paralysis, and this paralysis can occur in several different forms. Athetoid paralysis, for example, is a kind of paralysis that causes uncontrollable movement of arms, legs, the head and eyes. It causes loss of sensation in the extremities, leading to loss of balance, and can even affect intelligence, posture and speech. As a result, most sufferers are bound to a wheelchair. While cerebral palsy is attributed to infant head trauma, it is commonly related to other neurological problems, including hypoxia, hypoglycemia, jaundice and brain infection.
motor neuron disease
Motor neuron disease is a progressively degenerative disease that causes weakness and wasting of the muscles. This is a common disease, and occurs mostly in people forty years old and up. It is a genetic disorder, meaning that people who's family members have the disease are likely to have it as well. It typically affects the cells on the anterior horn of the spinal cord, motor nuclei in the brain stem and corticospinal fibers. It is a disease that affects many people. In fact, one of the most famous sufferers of MND is Stephen Hawking, a famous scientist.
Multiple sclerosis
MS is a progressive degenerative disease that affects different parts of the spinal cord, resulting in very 'scattered' symptoms. It is very hard to diagnose, and no two cases are alike. Some of these symptoms are ataxia (shaky movement and unsteadyness), nystagmus (uncontrollable eye movements), dysarthria (speech defects), spastic weakness and retrobulbar neuritis. Multiple sclerosis means 'many scars', and is caused by scarring of the myelin tissue that blocks impulses from neurons.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Myalgic Encephalomitis is a disease that causes extreme debilitating fatigue and extremely amplified flu-like symptoms that last for more than six months. It gets worse with mental and physical exertion, and does not improve with rest or medication. It's cause is unknown, and it typically appears after contracting illness such as glandular fever and mononucleosis.
sciatica
A common disease that is caused by the crushing, compression or damage to the nerves in the leg. A sciatic nerve (found in the pelvic area) causes pain felt down the back and into the leg, weakening the knees and ankles, and causing numbness or tingling sensations throughout the area. Sciatica is often caused by a sudden jarring movement in the leg, and there are currently no cures.
some of the other diseases of the nervous system are:
- Brain Cancer
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Epilepsy
- Spinal Cord injuries
- Disorders of the Cerebellum
- Stroke