Disorders of the Central Nervous System, Drugs and Alcohol

State Standard 20) Differentiate between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, detailing the anatomy of each system, important functions, differences between afferent, efferent, and associative neurons, and the different categories of nervous cells and tissue.

Objectives Students will be able to… Describe common Central nervous system disorders Determine the impact that drugs and alcohol have on the nervous system.

DISORDERS OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM Hydrocephalus Multiple sclerosis Dementia Alzheimer’s disease Brain tumors Hematoma Meningitis Encephalitis Epilepsy Cerebral palsy Poliomyelitis Parkinson’s disease ©2004 Delmar Learning, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc.

Meningitis Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and/or spinal cord Caused by bacteria or virus High fever, headaches, back and neck pain, n/v, delirium, convulsions and death Treatment includes medications and anticonvulsants Can lead to paralysis, coma, or death

Encephalitis Inflammation of the brain resulting in weakness, visual disturbances, vomiting, stiff neck and back, coma Caused by Virus Chemical Bacteria Treatment is supportive including medications and monitoring

Epilepsy Seizure syndrome Disorder associated with abnormal electrical impulses in the neurons of the brain Causes Trauma Toxins Idiopathic (spontaneous) Treated with medications (anti-convulsants)

Cerebral Palsy Caused by brain damage at birth or abnormal brain growth Lack of oxygen, birth injuries, infection, etc. Symptoms: Tense muscles leading to contractures Tremors Head rolling, difficulty with speech Usually no intellectual impairments Treatment: Therapy, anticonvulsants, braces, surgery

Poliomyelitis Disease of the nerve pathways of the spinal cord Causes paralysis Almost eliminated in the US because of vaccinations

Hydrocephalus Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles due to a blockage in the ventricles Symptoms include abnormally large head, prominent forehead, irritability, intellectual impairment Treated with surgical shunt between ventricles

Parkinson’s disease Chronic, progressive degeneration of brain cells usually in people over 50 y.o. Tremors, pin rolling, stiffness, muscular rigidity, forward leaning position, shuffling gait, mood swings, etc. Treatment is supportive through medication

Multiple sclerosis Chronic, progressive disabling condition resulting from degeneration of the myelin sheath Immune cells attack the myeline sheaths Occurs between 20 and 40 2/3rd women Cause is unknown Symptoms weakness paralysis Progresses at different rates depending on the person No cure

Does not mean that everyone that is forgetful has dementia General term defining a loss in at least two areas of complex behavior such as language, memory, visual/spatial abilities or judgment (impairs daily life) Does not mean that everyone that is forgetful has dementia

Alzheimer’s disease Progressive disease where initial symptom is usually a problem with remembering recently learning information Nerve endings in the cortex of the brain degenerate and block signals Cause is unknown and has 3 stages: 1st stage lasts 2-4 years and involves short-term memory loss, anxiety and poor judgment 2nd stage lasts 2-10 years and increases memory loss, difficulty recognizing people, motor problems, loss of social skills 3rd stage lasts 1-3 years and includes inability to recognize self, weight loss, seizures, mood swings, and aphasia (loss of speech).

Brain Tumors Can develop in any area of the brain Symptoms depend on the area of the brain involved May be cured by surgery or chemotherapy if caught early

Hematoma Mass of blood that collects in the spaces between the meninges (brain coverings) Typically due to a blow to the head

Stroke occurs when blood flow to an area of brain is cut off brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die abilities controlled by that area of the brain such as memory and muscle control are lost depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged Each year nearly 800,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke. A stroke happens every 40 seconds. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. Every 4 minutes someone dies from stroke.

Types of Stroke TIA (transient ischemic attach) “mini stroke” When blood flow to part of the brain stops for a short period of time Symptoms appear and last less than 24 hours before disappearing Ischemic Stroke A blood vessel carrying blood to the brain is blocked by a blood clot Hemorrhagic Stroke Due to an aneurysm that bursts or a weakened blood vessel leak least common type of stroke it most often results in death.

Drugs and Alcohol Drugs and Alcohol are chemicals that affect the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way neurons normally send, receive, and process information. Most drugs of abuse directly or indirectly target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure Long term use can impact the bodies natural production of dopamine leaving the person with a strong need to continually use the substance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8EszDP 3jY Stroke Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8EszDP 3jY

Recognizing a Stroke

Activity Read p. 139, 140, and 141 under the nervous system lab activities tab. Scroll down to p. 181 and complete the Drugs and Nervous system activity Scroll down to p. 182 and complete the common diseases and disorders activity. Follow all directions ***HAVE WE MET OUR OBJECTIVES?**** Exit ticket: Individually answer the review questions 1-8. on p. 142

Group Activity Create a Case Study over one of the central nervous disorders. Do not include the name of the disorder. Keep the name SECRET You will present your case study to the class and we will guess what condition your patient has.

Sample Case study A case study is basically a story about a fictitious patient and their condition SO BEGIN WITH….. A Patient presents to the Hospital with the following symptoms…… This is to be in paragraph form with Complete sentences Include symptoms that your patient is suffering, how long have they had the symptoms, how your patient looks and acts, who is caring for your patient, and any other information that we will need to diagnose the patient.