Neurological Disorders
A neurological disorder is one that affects the body's nervous system, i.e. the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves that lead to and from them. Neurological disorders are quite widespread- according to a recent survey of the World Health Organization over 1 billion people suffer from neurological problems and can afflict people of any age.
There are many and quite diverse - factors that may lead to a neurological disorder as, for example, congenital abnormalities, brain or spinal cord injuries, malnutrition, infections, immune system problems, cardiovascular complications, as well as social stigma and discrimination. In some disorders, the nervous cells responsible for the production of dopamine and other substances are slowly destroyed. This process, together with some infections, has been linked to neurological conditions. Other risk factors are heredity, age, gender, reduced levels of estrogen, exposure to different chemicals, and exposure to chemicals during fetal developments.
Symptoms of neurological conditions are rigid muscles, tremors, slow motion, difficulty swallowing, numbness, and intermittent twitching. Other symptoms include inability to speak clearly, lack of balance and coordination, and lost ability for automatic movements, e.g. blinking. In some cases, neurological disorders result in dementia.
Neurological disorders often cause mild to severe depression. They are typically slow to develop and the onset is marked by mild symptoms. Patients are often doing household chores, cooking, or driving, and symptoms can cause accidents. With disease progression, patients are exposed to higher risks of depression. If they lose independence, depression may become especially severe.
Most neurological diseases are difficult to treat. Physical therapy is typically prescribed to retain physical dexterity. Medications such as anticholinergics, selegiline, Levopoda, amantadine, and dopamine agonists may help during various phases of the disease. Surgery is an option only for patients who can withstand surgical intervention. The surgical procedure involves the destruction of tiny amounts of brain tissue in the area affected by the disease. Another procedure involves stimulation of various brain parts. Today surgical treatment is a less common practice, with medications preferred by the physicians. Some of the most common disorders resulting from these factors are: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, and Alper's syndrome, among others.
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's is a particularly acute form of dementia. It is an incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease that is diagnosed in predominantly older people (over 65 years of age). Its most likely cause are the senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that accumulate in the brain with time. In its early stage, the disease is characterized by memory loss, e.g. the inability or difficulty in remembering recently learned information. As it progresses, other symptoms of the disease will appear: confusion, mood swings, irritability, aggression, language breakdown, and the overall withdrawal of the patient.
At present, there is no surefire measure to avoid Alzheimer's disease, but studies have shown that a person who regularly engages in intellectual activities (reading, playing board games, completing crosswords, etc.), plays a musical instrument, and actively interacts with other people, is less likely to be affected by it.
Parkinson's disease
This is a degenerative disorder that often impairs the patient's motor skills and speech. The most common cause of the disease is some form of head trauma although toxicity occasioned by heavy drug intake may also prove a highly harmful factor. Parkinson's disease is rather conspicuous as it is often accompanied by limb tremors and postural instability. It is an incurable disorder, but its symptoms can be greatly alleviated via a well-balanced combination of healthy diet, physiotherapy, exercise, and medication.
Epilepsy
This is a disease characterized by chronic, unprovoked seizures of varying severity. More than 50 million people worldwide suffer from this epilepsy, the majority being small children and adults over the age of 65 years. About 70 percent of the cases can be successfully controlled with the appropriate medication and/ or surgical intervention.
Alpers' Syndrome
This disease affects infants and small children up to five years old. Its first symptoms include seizures and inability to meet the development standards for the particular age. As the disease advances, the child becomes afflicted with mental retardation, spasticity (limb stiffness), and progressive dementia. Optic atrophy that often leads to blindness may also occur.
There is no cure for Alpers' syndrome, although some of the symptoms may be treated separately. Anticonvulsants can be used to decrease seizure intensity, and physical therapy can help relieve the stiffness of the limbs.