The Process

NERVOUS SYSTEM

 Schematic diagram showing divisions of the nervous system

 Information Process

Sensory Division

Motor division

Nervous System Diseases

Wilson Disease (Hepatolenticular Degeneration)

Wilson disease is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder of copper metabolism. The condition is characterized by excessive deposition of copper in the liver, brain, and other tissues. The major physiologic aberration is excessive absorption of copper from the small intestine and decreased excretion of copper by the liver

Symptoms
Kayser-Fleischer rings (a rusty brown discoloration at the rims of the corneas)

 Symptoms of the disease include a peculiar type of tremor in the upper extremities, slowness of movement and changes in temperament. Persons may become exceptionally argumentative, overly emotional or may experience a decrease in mental capabilities.

Treatment
With clinical progression, acute liver failure, or worsening hepatic function, the patient must be evaluated at a center with expertise in Wilson disease and the capability to perform liver transplantation. Orthotopic liver transplantation is curative treatment for Wilson disease. Dietary Medication

Huntington Disease
This is an autosomally-inherited, dominant disorder in which the patient begins to exhibit symptoms in the third to fourth decades. HD usually progresses over a 10 to 25 year period. As the disease progresses it leads to dementia and usually death from incurrent infection. There is a high incidence of suicide among patients with HD.

Causes
HD results from genetically programmed degeneration of nerve cells, called neurons, in certain areas of the brain.

Symptoms
Early symptoms of HD may include uncontrolled movements, clumsiness or balance problems. Later, HD can take away the ability to walk, talk or swallow.

 Movement and Huntington's Disease Uncontrolled movement, or tics, may develop in the fingers, feet, face, or trunk. This is the beginning stage of choreainvoluntary, rapid, ceaseless movement. Chorea can become more intense when the person is anxious or disturbed. Over time other symptoms, such as the following, emerge

 Cognitive Function and Huntington's Disease Over time judgment, memory, and other cognitive functions begin to deteriorate into dementia. As Huntington's disease progresses, the ability to concentrate becomes more difficult. The person may have difficulty driving, keeping track of things, making decisions, answering questions, and may lose the ability to recognize familiar objects.

 Psychiatric Symptoms of Huntington's Disease

Early psychiatric symptoms of Huntington's disease are subtle, varied, and easily overlooked or misinterpreted. Depression is the most common psychiatric symptom of Huntington's and often develops early in the course of the disease.

Treatment

There is no cure. Medicines can help manage some of the symptoms, but cannot slow down or stop the disease.

Locked-In Syndrome
is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Total locked-in syndrome is a version of locked-in syndrome where the eyes are paralyzed as well

Symptoms

Paralysis of extremities Paralysis of lower cranial nerves Paralysis of voluntary muscles Inability to speak

CAUSES:
Possible causes of locked-in syndrome include: Traumatic brain injury Medication overdose Damage to nerve cells, particularly destruction of the myelin sheath, caused by disease (e.g. central pontine myelinolysis secondary to rapid correction of hyponatremia) A stroke or brain hemorrhage, usually of the basilar artery

Treatment
There is neither a standard treatment for locked-in syndrome, nor is there a cure. Stimulation of muscle reflexes with electrodes (NMES) has been known to help patients regain some muscle function. Other courses of treatment are often symptomatic.

 Assistive computer interface technologies, such as Dasher in combination with eye tracking, may be used to help patients communicate.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis
A chronic disease of the nervous system that can affect young and middle-aged adults. The course of this illness usually involves recurrent relapses followed by remissions, but some patients experience a chronic progressive course.

Symptoms
Muscle symptoms: Loss of balance Muscle spasms Numbness or abnormal sensation in any area Problems moving arms or legs Problems walking Problems with coordination and making small movements Tremor in one or more arms or legs Weakness in one or more arms or legs

Causes
The myelin sheaths surrounding nerves in the brain and spinal cord are damaged, which affects the function of the nerves involved. The underlying cause of the nerve damage remains unknown.

Treatments
The first groups of medications (disease modifying therapies) are drugs that impact the underlying disease. These drugs are also called immunomodulatory therapies. Second, there are medications (steroids) that help to decrease the severity and duration of MS relapses. Steroids are powerful medications with a variety of side effects if taken long term and so they are used over the short term to improve relapse symptoms and speed healing.

Broca Aphasia
Aphasia is defined by Websters Dictionary as a "loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain damage." In most people the Broca's area is in the lower part of the left frontal lobe. It is one of the main language areas in the cerebral cortex because it controls the motor aspects of speech. Persons with a Broca aphasia can usually understand what words mean, but have trouble performing the motor or output aspects of speech.

Causes
The most common cause of expressive aphasia is stroke. In most cases, expressive aphasia is caused by a stroke in Broca's area or the surrounding vicinity.

Symptoms
Symptoms of aphasia include:

Difficulty speaking or forming a sentence Difficulty understanding written or spoken language Speak in short or incomplete sentences Speak in sentences that don't make sense Speak unrecognizable words Not comprehend other people's conversation Interpret figurative language literally Write sentences that don't make sense

Treatment
Currently, there is no standard treatment for expressive aphasia. Most aphasia therapy is individualized based on a patient's condition and needs as assessed by a speech therapist. The majority of patients go through a period of spontaneous recovery following brain injury in which they regain a great deal of language function.