1. Nervous System Disorders and Homeostatic Imbalances

2. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)
Chronic, organic, mental disorder, due to atrophy of neurons of the frontal and occipital lobes
FYI: Fourth leading cause of brain death among the elderly
FYI: AD patients usually die from complications due to being bedridden

3. Alsheimer’s disease

4. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Aka as Lou Gehrig’s Disease
marked by muscular weakness and atrophy
due to degeneration of the motor neurons of the spinal cord, medulla, and cortex
No known cure

5. Bacterial Meningitis Infection of the meninges by the bacteria
Usually affects children under age 5
Symptoms include severe headaches and fever
Can lead to brain damage and even death if not treated

6. Cerebral Palsy (CP)
A group of motor disorders due to loss of muscle control
Caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain during fetal development, birth, or infancy
symptoms are irreversible

7. Epilepsy
Short, recurrent, periodic, attacks of motor, sensory, or psychological malfunction
Characterized by seizures
Involuntary skeletal muscle contraction, loss of muscle control, inability to sense light, noise, and smell, and loss of consciousness
Cause is unknown

8. Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
progressive destruction of myelin sheaths
The sheaths deteriorates to scleroses
hardened scars or plaques
“short circuits” nerve transmission
type of autoimmune disease
No known cure
Progressive loss of function with intermittent periods of remission

9. Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
Cause is unknown.
Develops as cells are destroyed in certain parts of the brain stem.

10. Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
Symptoms include muscle tremor, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia, hypokinesia or dyskinesia, speech and walking impairment

11. Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) - Stroke
most common brain disorder
Characterized by slurred speech, loss of or blurred vision, dizziness, weakness, paralysis of a limb or hemiplegia, coma, and death

12. Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) - Stroke
Ischemic CVA - due to lack of blood supply to a particular area of the brain
Hemorrhagic CVA - due to the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain

13. Risk Factors for Stroke
hypertension
heart disease
smoking
diabetes
atherosclerosis
hyperlipidemia
obesity
excessive alcohol intake