1. 3.02 Understand disorders of the nervous system1 1

2. 3.02 Essential Questions
What are some disorders of the nervous system?
How are nervous system disorders treated?
How does the nervous system relate to the body’s communication systems? 2

3. Disorders of the nervous system:Alzheimer’s disease
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Disease of Older adults
Progressive disease that begins with problems remembering
Nerve endings in cortex of brain degenerate and block signals that pass between nerve cells
Abnormal fibers build up creating tangles 3

4. Disorders of the nervous system: Alzheimer’s disease
What are the symptoms?
1st Stage (2 - 4 years):
involves confusion, short-term memory loss, anxiety, poor judgement
2nd Stage ( years):
increase in memory loss, difficulty recognizing, people, motor problems, logic problems, and loss of social skills
3rd Stage (1 - 3 years):
inability to recognize oneself, weight loss,
seizures, mood swings, and aphasia 4

5. Disorders of the nervous system:Alzheimer’s disease
How is it treated?
Some medications to prolong Stage I 5

6. Disorders of the nervous system:Alzheimer’s disease
How is it prevented?
Unknown cause - so no known prevention 6

7. Disorders of the nervous system: Cerebral Palsy
Multiple
Causes
What is cerebral palsy?
A disturbance in voluntary muscular action due to brain damage
Caused by abnormalities in the parts of the brain that cause movement.
Most common is spastic quadriplegia
cause
cause
cause
cause
cause 7

8. Disorders of the nervous system: Cerebral Palsy
Multiple
Causes
Symptoms
Head rolling
Grimacing
Difficult speech or swallowing
Does not interfere with a person’s intellect
cause
cause
cause
cause
cause 8

9. Disorders of the nervous system: Cerebral Palsy
Multiple
Causes
cause
cause
How is it treated?
Treat the symptoms
Which healthcare team members will take care of the patient with cerebral palsy?
cause
cause
cause 9

10. Disorders of the nervous system: Cerebral Palsy
Multiple
Causes
Which healthcare team members will take care of the patient with cerebral palsy?
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Neurologist
Gastroenterologist
cause
cause
cause
cause
cause 10

11. Disorders of the nervous system: Epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Seizure disorder of the brain
Characterized by a recurring and excessive discharge from neurons
Two Types:
Grand Mal - severe, convulsive seizures
Petit Mal - milder 11

12. Disorders of the nervous system: Epilepsy
What are the symptoms?
Hallucinations
Seizures (convulsions)
Loss of consciousness
Should a person with epilepsy be allowed to drive? 12

13. Disorders of the nervous system: Epilepsy
How is it treated?
Medication: Phenobarbital
Dilantin
Tegretol
Diet 13

14. Disorders of the nervous system: Epilepsy
Should a person with epilepsy be allowed to drive?
If a person’s seizures are not under control they are not permitted to have a driver’s license. 14

15. Disorders of the nervous system: Hydrocephalus
Condition that involves an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain.
Usually caused by a blockage of the third or fourth ventricle of the brain. 15

16. Disorders of the nervous system: Hydrocephalus
Who is most likely to develop hydrocephalus?
Infants - it is usually discovered at birth because of enlargement of head
One reason why babies heads are measured routinely starting at birth 16

17. Disorders of the nervous system: Hydrocephalus
How is it treated?
Shunt operation, to divert spinal fluid into the stomach 17

18. Disorders of the nervous system: Meningitis
Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord.
Caused by bacterial or viral infection 18

19. Disorders of the nervous system: Meningitis
What are the symptoms?
Headache
Fever (if bacterial)
Stiff neck
In severe form, may lead to paralysis, coma and death 19

20. Disorders of the nervous system: Meningitis
How is it treated?
Treat the symptoms
If bacterial may be treated with antibiotics 20

21. Disorders of the nervous system: Multiple Sclerosis
Chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in which immune cells attack the myelin sheath of nerve cell axons.
The sheath is destroyed and scar tissue is left in it’s place, impulses are not transmitted properly
The cause it autoimmune, but not sure what triggers it 21

22. Disorders of the nervous system: Multiple Sclerosis
What are the symptoms?
Weakness of extremities
Numbness
Double vision
Loss of coordination
Possible paralysis 22

23. Disorders of the nervous system: Multiple Sclerosis
Who is most likely to develop it?
Develops in young adults between the ages of 20-40, with the majority being women
It is autoimmune 23

24. Disorders of the nervous system: Multiple Sclerosis
How is it treated?
Rest
Medication: interferon, avonex
Speech therapy for speech problems
Minimal stress
Diet 24

25. Disorders of the nervous system: Multiple Sclerosis
What is the prognosis?
Patients with MS have the same life expectancy as an unaffected person, but there is no cure and the symptoms grow progressively worse 25

26. Disorders of the nervous system: Neuritis
Inflammation of one or more nerves 26

27. Disorders of the nervous system: Neuritis
Symptoms
Pain
Tenderness
Impaired sensation, strength and reflexes
Abnormal circulation
Decreased ability to sweat in the distribution are of the inflamed nerves 27

28. Disorders of the nervous system: Neuritis
Treatment:
Pain relievers (analgesics)
Anti-inflammatories
Prevention:
Follow safety rules
Be careful - particularly with lifting 28

29. Disorders of the nervous system: Paralysis
“disabling of a nerve”
The loss of power, motion or sensation due to
damage to the spinal cord. 29

30. Disorders of the nervous system: Paralysis
What are the symptoms?
Unable to move body part affected
Unable to feel body part affected
Unable to use body part affected 30

31. Disorders of the nervous system: Paralysis
Prognosis:
Patient will live but with limited or no usage of the affected part. 31

32. Disorders of the nervous system: Parkinson’s Disease
What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?
It is characterized:
Tremors
Shuffling gait
Pill-rolling (movement of thumb and index finger)
Muscular rigidity 32

33. Disorders of the nervous system: Parkinson’s Disease
Who is most likely to have this disorder?
Believed to have a genetic link
Mostly in males
Caused by:
Decrease in neurotransmitter dopamine 33

34. Disorders of the nervous system: Parkinson’s Disease
How is it treated?
Drug called L-dopa which replaces dopamine 34

35. Disorders of the nervous system: Poliomyelitis
Disease of the nerve pathways of the spinal cord which causes paralysis.
Impact of this disorder:
Paralysis
Physical disabilities
Mental hardships
Possible death 35

36. Disorders of the nervous system: Poliomyelitis
How can it be prevented?
Immunization
How is it treated?
Treat the symptoms 36

37. Disorders of the nervous system: Poliomyelitis
What is the prognosis?
Depending on the type of polio that you have, disability is more likely than death particularly with modern medicine 37

38. Disorders of the nervous system: Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord can be injured at any point, but the mobility of the neck causes this area to be most vulnerable 38

39. Disorders of the nervous system: Spinal Cord Injury
Symptoms: based on where the spinal cord is damaged
Problems walking
Loss of control of the bladder or bowels
Inability to move the arms or legs
Feelings of spreading numbness or tingling in the extremities
Unconsciousness
Headache
Pain or stiffness in the neck area
Signs of shock
Unnatural positioning of the head 39

40. Disorders of the nervous system: Spinal Cord Injury
How is it treated?
Surgery for stabilization and release of pressure on the spinal cord
What are the risk factors for teens?
Teens tend to be daring and not as safe as they need to be and do not take the proper precautions 40

41. Disorders of the nervous system: West Nile Virus
It is a mosquito-born virus
It is spread to humans by the bite of mosquitoes
Most people have no symptoms, but some have flu like symptoms
In the elderly and very young it can cause encephalitis and meningitis 41

42. Disorders of the nervous system: West Nile Virus
What are the risk factors?
Living in a tropical area ( you live in tropical area in summer)
Time of year (spring and summer)
Time spent outside 42

43. Disorders of the nervous system: West Nile Virus
How is it prevented?
Good screens on windows and doors
Get rid of wet mosquito breeding sites (any standing water)
Change water in birdbaths every couple of days
How is it treated?
Viral - can only treat symptoms 43

44. Disorders of the nervous system: CVA
CVA - Cerebral Vascular Accident
Stroke or CVA
Interruption of blood and oxygen to brain
Tissue death
Third leading cause of death in USA 44

45. Disorders of the nervous system: CVA
CVA - Cerebrovascular Accident
Risk Factors
Smoking
Hypertension
Heart disease
Family history 45

46. Disorders of the nervous system: CVA
CVA - Cerebral Vascular Accident
Causes
90% caused by blood clots
Clots lodge in carotid arteries, blocking the flow of blood to the brain
10% caused by ruptured blood vessels in the brain 46

47. Disorders of the nervous system: CVA
CVA - Cerebral Vascular Accident
Symptoms
Hemiplegia (paralysis one side of body) on opposite side of the body
Sudden, severe headache
Dizziness
Sudden loss of vision in one eye
Aphasia (loss of speech)
Dysphasia (abnormal speech - slurring)
Coma
Possible death 47

48. Disorders of the nervous system: CVA
CVA - Cerebral Vascular Accident
Treatment
Get to hospital immediately
CT done to determine etiology
If clot, treatment to dissolve clot, must be administered with 2 hours
Prevention
One low dose aspirin a day
Stop smoking
Exercise and lose weight
Control hypertension 48

49. 3.02 Essential Questions
What are some disorders of the nervous system?
How are nervous system disorders treated?
How does the nervous system relate to the body’s communication systems? 49

50. 3.02 Understand the disorders of the nervous system The end50